Japan blasts China’s ‘entirely baseless’ claims after U.N. letter

A Japanese official blasted China’s claims that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has altered Japan’s position on a Taiwan crisis as “entirely baseless,” calling for more dialogue to stop ties between Asia’s top economies spiraling.

China vowed to take resolute self-defense against Japan if it “dared to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait” in a letter delivered Friday to the United Nations. Beijing is seeking to rally international support for its position in a spat over the self-ruled chip hub it views as its territory.

“I’m aware of this letter,” said Maki Kobayashi, a senior Japanese government spokeswoman. “The claim our country has altered its position is entirely baseless,” she said, speaking Saturday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg.