A Chinese diplomat has sparked a diplomatic firestorm in Japan over a statement widely seen as threatening toward Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, following her recent remarks on Taiwan.

The controversy erupted after Takaichi, who was sworn into office last month, told a parliamentary committee on Friday that a Chinese military blockade of Taiwan , which Beijing claims as its own, would likely create a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan—one that could force Tokyo to respond by deploying its Self-Defense Forces.

Xue Jian, the Chinese consul general in Osaka, fired back on social media platform X in a now-deleted post, which read: "That filthy neck that barged in on its own—I've got no choice to cut it off without a moment's hesitation. Are you prepared for that?"

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