Xue Jian, a Chinese diplomat currently serving as consul general in Osaka, Japan, threatened to behead Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in a post to X on November 8, 2025.
“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?” said Xue in a post that has been deleted.
This came after Prime Minister Takaichi told a committee in Japanese National Diet (Parliament) that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would create a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. These words carry a special meaning: A “survival-threatening situation” would allow Japan to use its defense forces not only for the defense of Japan itself, but other nations it deems vital to its survival.
A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would severely disrupt supply chains. Repercussions would be felt around the world and in the United States. It would break the “first island chain,” which Japan is a part of, making it much easier for China to project power. “That would be a death sentence to Japan,” said Chris Chappell, an analyst on China and head of the YouTube channel “China Uncensored.”
Unlike Israel, the US has a formal defense treaty with Japan called the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between Japan and the United States of America. This treaty was also ratified in the Senate by a wide bipartisan vote of 90 to 2. Thus, unlike the informal defense agreements with Israel, the US’s defense treaty with Japan carries the force of law under Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution.
Known as the Supremacy Clause, it states: “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”
President Trump and Prime Minister Takaichi are close political allies and friends. During a recent trip to Japan, President Trump said “She is a delight. I got to know her pretty well in a short period of time.” Takaichi is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, which is the Japanese conservative nationalist party.
Japan summoned China’s ambassador to protest the “extremely inappropriate” tweet by Xue. Some in Japan are calling for Xue to be sent home to China in disgrace.
“Declare [Xue] persona non grata and impose immediate expulsion,” said Hiroshi Yamada, a member of Japan’s upper house.
“The mask slips again. Just a few months ago, [Xue] compared Israel with Nazi Germany. Now, he threatens Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and the Japanese people,” said George Glass, US Ambassador to Japan.
China escalated the situation by advising its citizens to avoid travel to Japan. Chinese tourists account for about 5.7 million (23%) of all its visitors. Several Japanese tourism-related stocks fell after China issued the warning and it is unclear how this diplomatic scuffle will play out.
In spite of calling itself a “friend to the world,” China continues to allow the mask to slip on their true intentions. The Middle Kingdom still believes that they are the “center of the world” and all other nations are subordinate to them. This is the same position on diplomatic relations that China had before the Communist takeover in 1949. The Communist Party of China merely continues it with far left authoritarian ideology.
