According to state broadcaster CCTV, Fu Cong said in a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday that Japan was “unrepentant” for the “blatantly provocative” remarks of its prime minister.

He said Takaichi’s comments marked the first time a Japanese leader had “expressed its ambition for armed intervention on the Taiwan issue and the first time [Japan] has issued a military threat against China, openly challenging China’s core interests”.

“These remarks are extremely erroneous, highly dangerous, and have an extremely negative impact,” Fu wrote.

The letter, the CCTV report said, would be sent to all United Nations member states as an official document of the UN General Assembly.

03:35

Tokyo complains over video of diplomat appearing to bow to Chinese official

Tokyo complains over video of diplomat appearing to bow to Chinese official

Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have risen sharply this month since Takaichi suggested that Japan could deploy its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. It was the first time a sitting Japanese prime minister had made such remarks and a departure from Japan’s long-held strategic ambiguity.