Taiwan’s Lai eats sushi to back Japan amid China dispute

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te backs Japan with a symbolic sushi lunch, as China’s threatens seafood import ban over Japanese PM’s Taiwan remarks.

Transcript

00:00Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has publicly shown his support for Japan

00:04after Beijing warned it would ban imports of Japanese seafood amid a growing diplomatic role.

00:11Lai posted photos of himself eating Japanese sauce sushi,

00:16a symbolic gesture as tensions surged following Prime Minister Sanai Takechi's remarks

00:21that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger Japan's military response.

00:26Lai shared photos on social media of himself eating Japanese sauce sushi,

00:32including yellowtail from Kagoshima and scallops from Hokkaido,

00:36while also writing the caption in Japanese.

00:39Taiwan's government has in recent years been subject to similar food export bans by China,

00:44including of Taiwanese pineapples and fish,

00:47in what Taipei has said is part of a Chinese pressure campaign.

00:50Foreign Minister Lin Xiaolong told reporters that China's bullying behavior

00:54from trade restrictions to military threats is too frequent to count,

00:59urging Taiwanese to support Japan by traveling more and buying Japanese goods.

01:03China, however, dismissed the gesture.

01:06Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,

01:10and no display by Lai would change that.

01:13Taiwan was under Japanese rule for about 50 years until its surrender in World War II.