A group of Japanese citizens gathered spontaneously outside the Chinese Embassy in Japan in Tokyo, expressing dissatisfaction over remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on island of Taiwan, which they said had led to the deterioration of China-Japan relations, according to Phoenix TV.

Some participants said they wanted to apologize to China and called on the Japanese government to issue a formal apology to Beijing. “I hope that at least I can express my apology to China as an ordinary citizen.” “I do not trust the Japanese government. China and Japan have a peace and friendship treaty, and I hope the two countries can restore friendly relations. Through civil and cultural exchanges, I believe the friendship and goodwill between the two peoples should not be lost,” according to video clips released by Phoenix TV.

The event also sparked discussions on X. An X user under the account @blindfish_1234, the organizer of the gathering, posted after the event about its successful hosting and that “Everyone brought their own creatively designed placards.”

Another X user under the name Hirabayashi Jūshoku (@FSNg7hpPtvnUjIF) forwarded the post, saying that “Prime Minister Takaichi's statement on a survival-threatening situation that damages Japan-China relations, economic sanctions, active SDF officer’s intrusion into Chinese embassy, and …The gathering activity to ease the unnecessary tensions between Japan and China that arose under the Takaichi administration is, I believe, an act of tremendous courage.”

In April, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said that the root cause for the current situation in China-Japan relations is that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made the erroneous remarks on Taiwan and breached Japan’s commitments, which erodes the political foundation of China-Japan relations and challenges the postwar international order.

The Japanese side needs to abide by the four political documents between China and Japan and its own commitments, reflect on and correct its wrongdoings, and take concrete actions to uphold the political foundation of China-Japan relations, Mao said, in response to Japan’s change in wording of China ties.