US university seeks to dismiss lawsuit by family of China-born scientist Jane Wu
Family alleges Northwestern’s actions during ‘China Initiative’ investigations linked to death of leading researcher
Northwestern’s lawyers on Monday informed Cook County Judge Jonathan Green that the university had already moved to dismiss the case.
China-Japan row widens at UN as Taiwan remarks called ‘greatest challenge’ to ties
Ambassador Fu Cong sends second letter to UN chief insisting Tokyo must retract comments or bear ‘all consequences’
Fu’s message on Monday was issued in response to his Japanese counterpart, Kazuyuki Yamazaki, who last week accused Beijing of “stifling” bilateral engagement. In his own letter to the UN, Yamazaki argued that the Japanese leader’s comments did not go beyond the post-World War II defence posture.
“The greatest challenge at present is that Takaichi’s erroneous words and deeds have severely undermined the mutual trust between China and Japan and damaged the political foundation of China-Japan relations,” Fu wrote in his letter to the UN chief.
But even as bilateral tensions have escalated, at least two key organisations in Tokyo have reportedly offered to visit China.
Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that several members of the Japan–China Friendship Parliamentarians’ Union, a cross-party group of lawmakers, met Chinese ambassador Wu Jianghao on Monday. The group told Wu that it was interested in sending a delegation to China as early as next month, according to the report.
The report said that Yoshinobu Tsutsui, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, also met Wu last week, telling the envoy that the organisation was willing to dispatch a business delegation to China.
In response, Lin Jian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, again urged Takaichi to retract her remarks, saying that “many people with insights in Japan have expressed deep concern over the damaging impact and serious consequences” of her speech.
Lin added that Beijing hoped that relevant organisations in Japan could play a more active and constructive role domestically.
Takaichi has refused to retract her remarks despite weeks-long demands and economic retaliation from Beijing.
Beijing sees Taiwan as a part of China to be reunited, by force if necessary. Most countries, including Japan and its ally the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is committed to supplying it with weapons.
Tokyo said its position regarding China had not changed, but Beijing has dismissed that statement as “far from enough”.
In his latest letter, Fu said the phrase – survival-threatening situation – “clearly goes beyond its claim of ‘passive defence strategy’”.
“Historically, it was the go-to tactic of Japanese militarists to expand armaments under the pretext of so-called survival-threatening situations and launch external aggression in the name of ‘self-defence’,” he wrote.
Fu urged the international community to be “highly vigilant” against “Japan’s ambition to expand its military capabilities and revive militarism”.
In Yamazaki’s message delivered on November 24, he said that Takaichi’s remarks were “grounded in” the country’s position of “passive defence strategy, which is exclusively defence-oriented”.
The Japanese diplomat also took a veiled swipe at Beijing’s assertiveness towards Taiwan, saying “certain countries have been engaged in the prolonged expansion of military capabilities in a non-transparent manner”, and “attempt unilateral changes to the status quo by force or coercion”.
Yamazaki also wrote that Beijing had been “stifling” bilateral people-to-people and economic exchanges, showing a “negative attitude” towards political-level dialogue with Tokyo.
Beijing has postponed two major meetings with Japan and South Korea: a trilateral summit scheduled for January in Japan, and a ministerial meeting that was due to take place last week. The diplomatic chill is also affecting the public, with China cancelling several films, concerts and other cultural events across the country involving Japanese nationals.
Onoda held out in the Philippine jungle for 29 years before surrendering in 1974, becoming the last Japanese soldier to surrender in World War II. He received a hero’s welcome on his return to Japan.
He was pardoned by the Philippine government despite killing Filipinos he mistook for enemies while he hid out.
The Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, where Mitoma plays, apologised for “any offence caused in China”.
