CaliToday (11/11/2025): The Japanese government has issued a formal and "strong protest" to Beijing following an incident where China's Consul General in Osaka, Xue Jian, posted a violent threat online aimed at Japanese Prime Minister Takaishi Sanae. The diplomat's post, which reportedly included a threat to "behead" the Prime Minister, was in response to her recent statements linking a potential conflict over Taiwan to Japan's national security. The event has triggered a severe diplomatic backlash, with Japanese officials labeling the act "unprecedented" and "extremely inappropriate."
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| Screengrab of a deleted post on X by China's Xue Jian, consul general in Osaka, calling for the decapitation of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. |
The Catalyst: The Prime Minister's "Existential Threat" Comment
The diplomatic firestorm was ignited on November 7, 2025. During a session of the Lower House Budget Committee, Prime Minister Takaishi Sanae addressed the issue of a potential Taiwan contingency.
She stated that if China (CCP) were to impose a maritime blockade or use force against Taiwan, the situation could constitute an "existential threat situation" for Japan.
This terminology is legally significant. Under Japan's 2015 security legislation, such a designation is the prerequisite for Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense—meaning it could militarily assist an ally (like the United States) even if Japan itself is not directly attacked.
This was the first time a sitting Japanese Prime Minister has explicitly and publicly drawn a direct link between a "Taiwan incident" and this specific legal trigger for Japan's self-defense forces.
The Threat and Japan's Swift Rebuke
On the evening of November 8, Xue Jian, China's Consul General in Osaka, posted the threatening remarks aimed at Prime Minister Takaishi on social media.
The reaction from Tokyo was swift and severe.
In a press conference on November 10, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru confirmed the incident, calling Xue Jian's remarks "extremely inappropriate for an individual serving as China's Consul General" and completely unacceptable.
Kihara confirmed that Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japanese Embassy in China had both filed strong protests through diplomatic channels, demanding the immediate deletion of the post.
According to sources, Kanai Masaaki, Director-General of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, summoned a senior official from the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo on November 9 to lodge the protest directly. By that evening, the controversial post was no longer available.
When asked if the government would consider demanding Xue Jian's removal from Japan, Kihara stated that the government was "aware of other inappropriate behaviors" by the Consul General. He added that Japan has repeatedly asked the Chinese side to take appropriate measures and would "continue to urge Beijing to provide a clear explanation."
Prime Minister Takaishi Stands Firm
Appearing before the Diet (Japan's parliament) on November 10, Prime Minister Takaishi Sanae emphatically stated she had no intention of retracting her statement about a Taiwan contingency.
She clarified that her comment was "based on a worst-case scenario assumption" and was "fully consistent with the government's long-standing and unified position."
While she added, "I will avoid giving overly specific answers in the future," she confirmed the statement was made in accordance with the government's official view and would not be withdrawn or amended.
A "Wolf Warrior" Diplomat with a History of Controversy
This is not the first time Consul General Xue Jian has sparked a diplomatic dispute.
During Japan's 2024 Lower House election, Xue publicly called on social media for Japanese voters to support the left-wing, pro-China party "Reiwa Shinsengumi." The Japanese government immediately criticized the act as "blatant interference in internal affairs" and filed a diplomatic protest, after which that post was also deleted.
However, the violent nature of the threat against a sitting head of government is seen as a far more serious diplomatic error.
Kyodo News quoted a Japanese government official who described the remark as "unprecedented misconduct in the diplomatic community."
Tokyo Shimbun cited diplomatic experts who suggested Xue Jian's remarks could be a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which governs the conduct of diplomats.
Sankei Shimbun published a scathing editorial, labeling Xue's actions "disgraceful diplomacy" and calling on the government to consider declaring him "persona non grata" a formal declaration to expel a diplomat.
Widespread Outrage and Calls for Expulsion
The incident has caused "extreme outrage" among Japanese lawmakers.
Matsubara Jin, a Lower House representative and former State Minister for Foreign Affairs, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he has repeatedly demanded the government expel Xue Jian in accordance with the Vienna Convention.
Prominent news commentator Yaita Akio condemned Xue for "completely losing his diplomatic sanity," arguing that his actions "seriously damage China's international image." He urged the Takaishi government to respond firmly to Beijing's aggressive "wolf warrior diplomacy."
Public records show Xue Jian, 57, previously served as Deputy Director-General of the Asian Affairs Department of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He assumed his post as Consul General in Osaka, which holds Ambassadorial rank, in November 2021.