A Chinese official threatened Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi with beheading after she suggested Japan could intervene if China attacked Taiwan.

Takaichi had said a Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan during conflict could create a “survival-threatening situation,” prompting Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to act.

China’s consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, posted a violent threat on X (formerly Twitter), which Japan condemned as “extremely inappropriate” and formally protested.

Takaichi stood by her comments, emphasizing that Japan would make careful judgments based on the situation, The Telegraph has reported.

The incident has escalated tensions, with calls in Japan to expel the diplomat, while the U.S. and China have weighed in on the dispute over Taiwan and Japan’s potential involvement.