China and Japan in escalating spat over Taiwan: What to know

Over the past week, China and Japan have been locked in an escalating war of words. It all started when Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggested that if China attacked Taiwan then Japan could respond with its own self-defence force. Since then, foreign ministries on both sides have lodged serious protests with the other, and a Chinese diplomat made what some interpreted as a threat to behead Takaichi. The spat touches on the historical animosity between China and Japan, as well as longstanding “strategic ambiguity” on the sovereignty of Taiwan. Here’s what to know. The current tensions were sparked…