China protests to Japanese media over report on Taiwan

 a clear infringement on freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

LOL. They accuse the newspaper of doing exactly what China is doing. For some reason China seems to think they can apply their domestic censorship standards to other countries. And what's the point of protesting to the newspaper, they didn't advocate anything, the person whom they interviewed did.

Speak to a lot of Taiwanese.

In my opinion, China should give up Taiwan in return for China getting all the disputed islands.

Whether Taiwan wants to separate officially from the mainland or not is up to the Taiwanese themselves. They've worked hard to build a democracy. Having said that, I absolutely detest Sankei Shimbun.

Taiwan needs to make clear their goals and go for whatever they decide. This sitting on the fence won't get them or anyone else anywhere.

Either merge back with China and take that system

or

become independent and ask the UN to recognize the new country.

China can shove it, but " Andrew Lee" "Joseph Wu". what the heck are these names? American tourists?

@ Seth, its very common in Taiwan.

Have to say the Taiwanese are brave and resilient and deserve to be supported by the West rather than abandoned which they largely have been. Greater economic and people to people ties at the very least. Maybe that is changing in the U.S.

The spokesman said Wu was "left speechless" to see that China, which does not tolerate free speech and press freedom at home, seeks to impinge on those same freedoms in Taiwan and Japan.

Of all people, I would expect the minister to be far less shocked. That is textbook Chinese diplomacy these days. They think their rules apply outside of China. I've got news for them....

Japan should think about implementing its own foreign interference laws like the ones past in Australia today to counter Chinese influence on its democracy, of which press freedom is a part.

Any fans of communism still out there?

Anyone?

If stating facts, especially about a politician or leader, gets you thrown in jail, then you don't live in a free society.

OTOH, there are some "facts" that cannot be said even in the USA without fear of being thrown in jail (like how to beat a polygraph), so are there any free societies left?

The world must stand up to China and its bullying. These sorts of incidents are becoming increasingly common, with China not merely content with stifling the freedoms of its own people but also trying to do the same abroad. All countries and people who value freedom and democracy have to band together, not to "contain" China, but to send a much clearer message that its tactics will not be tolerated.

The way Beijing has recently acted towards Taipei is despicable. It has taken allies away from Taiwan and actively worked to reduce its valuable voice on the international, for instance when Taiwan's observer status at the WHO was withdrawn last year. Not to mention China using its economic might to compel countries to heed its interests and to punish countries that have taken measures deemed detrimental to or critical of China (see the THAAD issue with South Korea).

In my opinion, China should give up Taiwan in return for China getting all the disputed islands.

In my opinion, China should give up its claim on Taiwan in return for Taiwan giving up its claim on mainland China. Everyone wins!

Taiwan needs to make clear their goals and go for whatever they decide. This sitting on the fence won't get them or anyone else anywhere.

Taiwan is a democracy. And like most functional democracies, decisions are slow and major change is rare because people are not always of the same opinion. Policies are blocked by the opposition and then modified to something more “neutral.”

What I find ironic however, is when parties use the democratic process to undermine democracy.