Beijing has vowed to "protect the safety" of foreigners in China after Tokyo warned Japanese visitors to be careful in the country amid a diplomatic row.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday that the "Chinese government has always and will continue to protect the safety of foreign citizens in China in accordance with the law".
The comments came as Masaaki Kanai, the top official in Japan's foreign ministry for Asia-Pacific affairs, held talks in Beijing on Tuesday with his Chinese counterpart Liu Jinsong to calm tensions over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks.
‘Strong protest’
Takaichi said earlier this month that any Chinese military action against Taiwan, including a naval blockade, could qualify as a "survival-threatening situation," enabling Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defence.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take the democratic island, reacted furiously to Takaichi's comments.
Mao said Beijing had reiterated a "strong protest" with Tokyo in the discussions.
"Takaichi's fallacies seriously violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations", Mao said, adding her comments "fundamentally damage the political foundation of China-Japan relations".
Beijing urged Tokyo to retract the premier's remarks.
Call for ‘constructive dialogue toward a solution’
Amid tensions, Japanese business leader Yoshinobu Tsutsui called for “constructive dialogue toward a solution” with Beijing, “as many (Japanese) companies are active in China,” Jiji Press reported.
Tokyo aims to calm the diplomatic row that has begun to affect tourism, education, and entertainment sectors between the two countries, Tokyo-based Kyodo News said.
Meanwhile, Beijing said Chinese Premier Li Qiang does not plan to meet with Takaichi in South Africa, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 leaders' summit, scheduled for the upcoming weekend.
