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© KYODOSuga refers to Taiwan as country, drawing fire from China
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oldman_13
Good for you Suga, we stand with you Taiwan against Chinese aggression!!!
Hiro
Keeping quiet isn't gonna change reality. Taiwan has been a nation for several decades now. That is not something you can just ignore and can change. They have their own army and a president.
Laguna
Two roads: China takes over Hong Kong and Taiwan, or Hong Kong and Taiwan take over China. The latter is more likely, and it's that that Zhongnanhai is most worried about.
OlympicSupport
Weird that he referred Taiwan to what it is..a country..how dare he!?!?
snowymountainhell
Spot on, as always @P.Smith 7:09am:
Paul
I am afraid it was just a mistake. I do not think Suga has the balls to actually call Taiwan a country.
Yukijin
Drawing fire from China has become a sport.
quercetum
Taiwan, the Republic of China. It’s time Taiwan change its name.
sf2k
whoops Suga said something from reality. He'll walk that back soon. Of course Taiwan is a country otherwise the CCP air force wouldn't keep testing its borders
StuckintheMiddle!
Taiwan is the only true democracy in Asia.
The first time Suga did something right, and it was by accident.
What a clown!
Mocheake
One of the few correct things this guy has done all year.
didou
He was meaning island, not country.
Lost in translation
virusrex
It would be nice to think this was a deliberate commitment to a Japanese close ally, but with the history of blunders from the Japanese government this would be just empty optimism.
Ricky Kaminski13
It’s ridiculous that China feels the need to force its own ridiculous insanity onto the rest of the world. Having a childlike tantrum for stating the complete obvious.
Taiwan is a country, and they want none of what you stand for, nor offer. Whether you like that simple fact or not is irrelevant.
Go tell that to your borg masters Wang.
Good onya Suga. Message clear as day and come what may!
Mark
Sad that China still thinks that Taiwan is part of it!!! It's going to take China another 50 years to realize and accept the reality that Taiwan is an INDEPENDANT Sovereign nation and will stay that way.
Kaerimashita
China is slowly normalising its position on Taiwan as a precedent to taking more direct aggressive action
Hiroshi13
Whether intentional or not, I'll give Suga an ounce of credit for poking China in the eye. With much of the world now turning their focus on China's role in spreading COVID-19...how anyone refers to Taiwan should be the least of their worries.
Ricky Kaminski13
Howaiti@ you honestly think the world would step back and let that happen? Really?
Ye of little faith.
Fighto!
Good on Suga for acknowledging Taiwan as an independent nation.
Now its up to the US to step up and formally and officially recognize Taiwan diplomatically. Over to you, Biden.
Fighto!
The entire free world has Taiwans back. QUAD will be there in any Commie invasion, sending their men and women to fight for Taiwans freedom. Don't ever doubt it.
Leo
There are 2 Chinas. One a communist dictatorship and the other a democracy.
gokai_wo_maneku
I can't find it, but what was the word he used in Japanese? 国?
quercetum
Taiwan doesn't want to be a China. It wants to recognize as an independent state, Taiwan. Unfortunately, you have to shed some blood: American Revolution, French Revolution, Meiji Restoration and so on. Can't just say, I am a country now.
Michael Machida
The Country of Taiwan is correct. Why is everyone so cautious because of China?
Tokyo-Engr
Nice to hear something from Suga I agree with.
All the best from Japan to the sovereign nay of Taiwan. I’ve always enjoyed my visits there.
Tokyo-Engr
Oops. Sovereign Nation of Taiwan
Stewie
The entire world is looking at ways to stop relying on China for manufactured goods. Give it some time and China will have to stop its Wolf Warrior attitude or become ostracised from world trade. Other emerging economies will pick up the rewards.
gaicuckojin
If Taiwan was part of china then they would of been taken over long time ago. But they haven’t because they are weak and Xi is incompetent .
Commodore Perry
Suga comes through finally.
snowymountainhell
Bless the great, independent people of Taiwan. Perhaps Ambassador Jacob Torreto will be needed to again smooth Beijing’s continuous ‘ruffled feathers’. Can we expect more ‘foot in mouth’ from Suga in the near future?
kyushubill
China will pull out a brand new map from "ancient times" to prove their case. Lol.
Of course Taiwan is a country.
Constitution with parliament, executive, and judiciary.
Internationally convertable currency.
Population that supports national sovereignty.
Flag of nation that is recognized by international maritime agencies.
Diplomatic corps with embassies.
Suck it up China. Taiwan is a free nation.
n1k1
US , UK, Australia , I think YES, Even Japan maybe
Wolfpack
Let’s face it, the only country capable of mounting a campaign to assist Taiwan is the US and does anyone seriously think that biden will turn his back on his good friend President Xi? They used to hang out together when biden was VP. biden has stated publicly that he doesn’t think China is a threat - downplaying Xi’s bully tactics in East Asia and elsewhere with the belt and road policy.
Xi has been very generous to biden and his family. biden will talk big about defending Taiwan and maybe challenge a few folks to a push-up contest (as he is known to do when challenged). But with AOC biting at his heels he knows better than to take on the arch-Leftists in his party. biden is more likely to stumble into war out of confusion and senility rather than as a policy to defend a friendly democracy in East Asia. Besides, biden seems very open to Marxism of late. He seems to get more comfortable with ignoring the legislative branch of the US government all the time.
InspectorGadget
Pot calling the Kettle Black
Completely ignoring the fact that China has 'donated" 22 Million doses to developing countries. You can be sure this isn't for entirely altrusitic purposes.
https://bridgebeijing.com/our-publications/our-publications-1/china-covid-19-vaccines-tracker/
theFu
Not only is Taiwan a country, so is Macau, Hong Kong, and Tibet.
Awaiting the 3 downvotes.
noriahojanen
Beijing is nitpicking a figure of speech. In English the word country also refers to "districts and small settlements outside large urban areas or the capital"... so do they now feel happy? :) In the same vein the Japanese also use 国 flexibly suggesting a region or a birthplace (sounds more romantic :))
Not only Suga, the opposition leader Edano also called Taiwan a country a few times.
台湾を「国」「島国」 立憲・枝野代表が繰り返し言及
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASP4F6QS2P4FIIPE01V.html
Not to mention, there are some states recognizing Taiwan as a country/sovereign. Things are relative, not black or white.
jinjapan
Amazes me how the worl world is a fraid to stand up to the bully country China. Taiwan is a country. Plain & simple. They complain about evry little thing they find offensive & the whole world kowtows to them. The world just cares about money. They complain about human rights & the such, but long as China wields the almighty legal tender, Taiwan, Tibet & everywhere else in the area will never live in total harmony. :-(
noriahojanen
The official line for Taiwan under Tsai is to reject "One China". But it's time to revise the concept and even accept it partly. There shall be only One China; Taiwan shall not be China.
President Tsai better seriously consider normalizing diplomatic relations with the PRC, let them open an embassy in Taipei.
ulysses
I hope it was not a slip pf tongue and other countries will follow suit.
Not recognizing a democratic country because of bullying from a brutal dictatorship????
Shame!!!
EBP
That is not regrettable. It's correct. Better not walk it back.
momoclo
I don't think the Brits are offended that people call the United States a country.
quercetum
No, some ships will pass through the straight and military sales will take place but that’s the extent. Why should American companies lose millions of dollars over Taiwan? No one wants to get involved if it means losing money.
Japanoob
The renegade province of mainland China ruled by it's CCP oppressors should stop interfering with the internal affairs of the country of Taiwan which is where the the legitimate seat of power is located for all Chinese people. (read the history books if you're lost on this)
And P. Smith's comment above is right in the sense that Taiwan's allies and the UN need to grow a spine and give full recognition to Taiwan for what it is which is a country. That being said small steps have been taken recently to this end which I welcome.
Japanoob
@ Bungle is correct.
Everyone is buying Chinese products, and have been for years (myself included), which is just fueling the Chinese economy which the CCP use to invest in other countries. They played the long game and we were all short sighted. They were smart.....
When I say 'invest' I really mean offer long term loans (often in exchange for vaccines and support at the UN) to poorer countries who can hardly refuse as the 'west' isn't helping them any.
So yeah buy a Chinese made product but don't then complain when they use the profits to build up their military to intimidate their neighbors, and use their economic might to damage other countries' trade who disagree with them e.g. Australia atm .
And to be clear I have nothing against Chinese people just the CCP.
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Not very wise.
El Rata
Suga is right this time (unintentionaly), not only the ROC (Taiwan) is a country but the actual real China, the PRC is the rogue state. Unfortunately, the west has been bought by the CCP and won't acknowledge the fact.
fxgai
Well then, “China” belongs to “Taiwan”.
easily resolved
kennyG
CCP cannot touch Taiwan as it gives the very good excuse US is now waiting for to override arguments over "One China principle" and cripple CCP heavily
justasking
That's why Taiwan is called Taiwan.
quercetum
I agree. Australia politician makes a remark on going to war with China over Taiwan: trade dispute, millions of dollars lost, and the rock lobster industry brought to its knees.
The Australian defence minister, Peter Dutton, has said a conflict involving China over Taiwan cannot be discounted but he insists the government’s focus remains on having “good relations” with Beijing.
This is the archetypic response: we support Taiwan, but we want to trade with China.
Suga, unlike Dutton, does not have to guts to say to China " conflict involving China over Taiwan cannot be discounted."
catseye97
Perhaps there has been a “misunderstanding” by China.
Anonymous
Just the kind of thing Trump would do.
Zaphod
Good on him! Credit where credit is due.
Not from "China" but from the CCP. Should we not stop equating the two?
kennyG
The definition of CHINA does matter. Is it referring to nation, or race, or ideology.
Sal Affist
The disappointing thing was that Suga was justifying restricting or denying privacy rights and pointed to the three democracies in doing so, as if he wants to or hopes to be able to have similar lockdown authority here in Japan.
theFu
Mainland China really blew it when they broke the 1 country, 2 systems agreement in the SARs. Why would Taiwan ever want to trust the mainland and even consider merging?
Gotta wonder if the Uyghurs would like to detach from China and form a new country?
WilliB
theFu
Rethorical question? And you will get the same answer from the Tibetans and the Mongolians btw.
ebisen
Suga gets a lot of admiration from me for doing that. I'm seeing him with new eyes now. Nice!
A Johnson
I am so happy, truly, to give Japan some credit. よかったね。
Lee
In response to China’s “Chinese Taiwan” attitude, we should all start calling China “Taiwanese China” from now on. Taiwan should raise an international outcry everytime any refers to “Taiwanese China” any other way. They should also lobby google Earth and map makers all over the world to enforce the name change too.
Boku Dayo
Taiwan is a country. The Republic of China.