"Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian on Monday condemned Japan's insistence on the Treaty of San Francisco as a response to its ongoing row with Beijing over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan. “History must not be reversed, and the bottom line of peace must not be breached," Lin said. "The course of history must not be reversed, and the bottom line of peace must not be crossed. Japan prevaricated to downplay the situation while continuing down the wrong path. China would absolutely not accept that," he said. "We urge the Japanese side to learn the lessons of history, do soul-searching, take seriously what it has heard from the Chinese side, simply retract the erroneous remarks as it should and take practical steps to honor its political commitments to China," he continued. It comes amid escalating tensions over Tokyo's recent emphasis on the 1951 peace treaty, arguing it is 'fulfilling' its post-war obligations. Under the treaty, Japan renounced claims to Taiwan and other territories, as argued by the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on November 7 during a parliamentary session. Beijing, however, maintains that the Treaty of San Francisco is invalid, as China was not a signatory and the treaty excluded wartime allies such as the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. "They never truly learned the lessons from history, never truly did any soul-searching about Japan's war atrocities or looked at them squarely, and never truly sought to prevent the revival of militarism in Japan," Lin said. "They hope that by whitewashing and not mentioning the true history, they could somehow make the world forget and release Japan from its obligations, but the world will not be deceived," he added. Takaichi refused to retract her remarks at the time of publication, saying Japan's position remained consistent while hoping for good ties with China. Meanwhile, Taiwan ended its 2011 restrictions on Japanese food on November 21, 2025, and several top officials, including leader Lai Ching-te, shared photos of themselves eating sushi to show support for Japan."