BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- China firmly rejects Japanese prime minister's perfunctory response of "no change in Taiwan-related position", and urges the Japanese side to retract its PM's erroneous remarks relating to Taiwan, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in Beijing on Thursday.

Lin told a news briefing in response to a query related to some media reports, which say at a plenary session of the House of Councillors on Dec. 3, Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi referred to the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, saying that the Japanese side "understands and respects" the Chinese government's position that "Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China."

Lin said the reports have been proved to be inaccurate, noting that the Japanese PM merely said that "the Japanese government's basic position regarding Taiwan remains as stated in the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, and there has been no change to this position," and nothing more.

"China's stance is very clear: We urge the Japanese side to reflect on and correct its wrongdoing, and retract Prime Minister Takaichi's erroneous remarks. This is an issue of principle," he noted.

China has been asking the Japanese side the same questions for days and still hasn't received an answer, and many have also criticized Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks in and outside Japan, "no change to the position" is far from adequate and certainly unacceptable as a response to China, Lin said, noting that the facts and Japan's commitments are written down in black and white in historical records.

"If the Japanese side's fundamental position on Taiwan is indeed as stated in the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, can Prime Minister Takaichi accurately and fully articulate that position? Why is the Japanese side unwilling to clearly state the commitments it has made and its legal obligations? What is the logic and motive driving this attitude?" Lin asked.

"The Japanese side owes China and the international community an explanation," he added.