China sanctions Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya over Taiwan visit

Ties between China and Japan have worsened since November, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi indicated that Tokyo might consider military involvement in the event of a Chinese attempt to take control of Taiwan. Beijing, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, has not ruled out using force to assert its claim and has repeatedly cautioned against foreign political engagement with Taipei, the UT report noted.

China has previously imposed sanctions on politicians from the United States and Europe for criticising its policies and human rights record.

In a statement issued by China's foreign ministry, Furuya, who belongs to Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and is regarded as a close associate of Takaichi, has been barred from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, UT reported.

The statement accused Furuya of making "multiple visits to Taiwan in defiance of China's strong opposition", claiming that his actions "seriously undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity". The sanctions come after his recent meeting with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te in Taipei earlier this month.

During that visit, the 73-year-old lawmaker defended Takaichi's earlier remarks, saying they align with Japan's long-standing policy and are "not problematic", as highlighted in the UT report.

Furuya has previously served as Japan's minister in charge of addressing North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens during the 1970s and 1980s, and has also headed the National Public Safety Commission. Since Takaichi's statements on Taiwan, Beijing has increased economic pressure on Japan and discouraged its citizens from travelling there, further adding strain to bilateral ties, the UT report added.

China's claim over Taiwan is a complex issue rooted in historical, political, and legal arguments. Beijing asserts that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, a viewpoint embedded in national policy and upheld by domestic laws and international statements. Taiwan, however, maintains a distinct identity, functioning independently with its own government, military, and economy.

Taiwan's status remains a significant point of international debate, testing the principles of sovereignty, self-determination, and non-interference in international law, as per the United Service Institution of India. China's claim to Taiwan originates from the Qing Dynasty's annexation of the island in 1683 after defeating Ming loyalist Koxinga.

However, Taiwan remained a peripheral region under limited Qing control. The key shift came in 1895, when the Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan after the First Sino-Japanese War, marking Taiwan as a Japanese colony for 50 years.

After Japan's defeat in World War II, Taiwan was returned to Chinese control, but the sovereignty transfer was not formalised. In 1949, the Chinese Civil War resulted in the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland, while the Republic of China (ROC) retreated to Taiwan, asserting its claim to govern all of China. This led to dual sovereignty claims: the PRC over the mainland and the ROC over Taiwan.

Taiwan has operated as a de facto independent state but has avoided declaring formal independence to prevent military conflict with the PRC, United Service Institution of India. (ANI)