China launches "countermeasures" against former Japan defence official

Beijing [China], December 15 (ANI): China on Monday announced that it has imposed sanctions on Shigeru Iwasaki, former chief of the Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defence Forces, saying he had "colluded with separatist forces" in Taiwan.

Beijing had, in March this year, lodged a protest over the appointment of Iwasaki as an honorary adviser to the Executive Yuan, the Taiwanese government's highest administrative body.

According to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry, the "countermeasures" on Iwasaki include "freezing his movable and immovable assets and other types of property" within China, the state-run Global Times reported.

It also prohibits organizations and individuals within China from conducting any transactions, cooperation or other such activities with him; refuse to issue visas to him and deny his entry into the country (including the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions).

The Chinese side has decided to impose the following countermeasures against Iwasaki in accordance with the provisions of Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 15 of the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People's Republic of China, according to the statement quoted by Global Times.

Beijing considers Taiwan as a province of China

Earlier this year Iwasaki was appointed as a political affairs consultant by Taiwan's Cabinet.

As per Japanese state media, he had served as the Air Self-Defence Force SDF's chief of the Joint Staff between 2012 and 2014.

Meanwhile tensions continue to simmer between Tokyo and Beijing following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's November 7 remarks in Parliament suggesting that Japan could deploy military forces in the hypothetical event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Beijing increased diplomatic and economic pressure on Japan, seeking to force Takaich to retract her remarks.

China has warned its citizens against travelling to Japan, and students were told to reconsider their plans there, apparently because of safety concerns.

Imports of Japanese seafood were reduced or put on hold, while concerts and movie screenings featuring Japanese artists were cancelled.

China's Coast Guard and Navy vessels also passed through the waters of the Senkaku islands, a territory administered by Japan but claimed by China as the Diaoyu islands. (ANI)

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