December 10, 2025

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira, at a press conference in the Diet building on December 9, condemned and protested against acts of spreading false rumors about a statement which JCP lawmaker Horikawa Akiko made at a Diet meeting in regard to Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s “Taiwan contingency” remark.

At the House of Representatives plenary meeting on the previous day, Horikawa brought up the issue of PM Takaichi’s “Taiwan” remark. The JCP lawmaker pointed to historical fact that Japan, in compliance with the 1945 Potsdam Declaration, ended its colonial rule and returned Taiwan to China, and that under the 1951 San Francisco Treaty, Japan renounced all right, title, and claim to Taiwan. She then claimed, “Japan, as a country that engaged in colonial rule and wars of aggression, bears a special historical responsibility to not become involved militarily in the Taiwan issue.”

Horikawa also referred to the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique. She pointed out that in the joint statement, Japan stated that it “fully understands and respects” the Chinese government’s position that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China.” She also pointed out that Japan formally stated that it “firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation.”

Koike criticized false rumors on the Internet claiming that Horikawa argued that a blind eye should be turned to China’s potential invasion of Taiwan, and said, “She never said anything like that.” The JCP Secretariat Head stressed that in the first place, the JCP is calling for a peaceful settlement of the Taiwan issue and opposes the use and threat of force by China. He added that the party has firmly been opposed to military interference in China’s Taiwan issue by both Japan and the United States.

Furthermore, Koike explained that Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration was the implementation of the Cairo Declaration which aimed at restoring Japan-occupied Taiwan to China at the end of WWII.

He said, “Horikawa was merely stating the obvious based on historical facts. We strongly protest against online attempts to spread disinformation that suggests that Horikawa made statements tolerating China’s potential use of force.”

Past related article:
> PM Takaichi’s remark bears resemblance to prewar Japan’s justification of war of aggression as self-defense war [December 8, 2025]