China questions Japan's claim of 'consistent position' on Taiwan

China on Tuesday challenged Japan's repeated assertions that it has maintained a "consistent position" on the Taiwan question, saying that Japan's insistence on repeating the phrase avoids addressing the core issue.

"In fact, Japan is deliberately evading China's request to retract its erroneous remarks and is attempting to muddle through," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing.

The remarks came after Japanese media reported that the Japanese government issued a written response in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday stating that recent remarks on the Taiwan question by the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not signify any change in the government's consistent position.

"Recently, Japanese officials have repeatedly referred to Japan's 'consistent position' on the Taiwan question," Mao said. "We have made it clear to the Japanese side: what exactly do they mean by this so-called 'consistent position'? Can Japan articulate this 'consistent position' in its entirety to the public?"

Mao noted that this inevitably raises doubts within the international community about whether Japan truly has the sincerity and willingness to engage in self-reflection and correct its mistakes.