Japanese Lawmaker Says Takaichi Lauded His Sanction by China

A Japanese lawmaker known for his support of Taiwan said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi lauded him for a sanction placed on him by China.

Keiji Furuya, the leader of Japan’s pro-Taiwanese parliamentary group, was banned from entering China from March this year. In video footage of an event held Wednesday shown by public broadcaster NHK, he said that he subsequently received an email from Takaichi saying it was an “honorable sanction.”

“It’s a display of wit as a prime minister or as a politician. China is a huge nation. I believe the intention was to say that it is very honorable to be singled out and remembered by such a large country,” Furuya said Friday, when asked about the comment.

He added that the comment won’t impact current relations with China and that pursuing a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship continues to be important for the Takaichi government.

The remarks come amid a deep freeze of relations between Japan and China after Takaichi suggested in November that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could provide legal grounds for a military response from Japan.

China has since lashed out at Japan diplomatically, politically and economically, with no immediate sign of a thaw in ties in sight.

With Takaichi expected to attend the APEC meeting in Shenzhen in November, focus is growing on whether she will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the past, APEC has served as a venue for the two nations to seek detente.

In 2014, an awkward handshake between then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Xi in Beijing on the sidelines of the APEC leaders’ summit marked the beginning of a period of rapprochement following a flare-up over a long-running territorial dispute.

Furuya’s comments come just as a series of visits by Japanese lawmakers, most recently by former Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, suggest Beijing may be open to improving economic ties while it remains firm on urging Takaichi to retract her Taiwan remarks.

Read more: China Says Japan Ties Need ‘Normalization’ Again Over Taiwan

Beijing sanctioned Furuya for “colluding” with Taiwan independence forces, actions that interfere with China’s internal affairs, according to Xinhua.

In July, Furuya was presented with an award for promoting closer Japan-Taiwan ties by President Lai Ching-te, according to the island’s broadcaster CNA.