BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday countermeasures against Keiji Furuya, a member of Japan's House of Representatives, for his egregious moves, including collusion with "Taiwan independence" separatist forces for provocative moves.

The countermeasures are just acts based on Chinese law, aimed at safeguarding national interests, and in line with international norms. More importantly, they are a firm and forceful response to the wanton provocations and reckless actions of the Japanese side.

This sends a clear message to Tokyo: anyone or any force that crosses the line and plays with fire on the Taiwan question will bring trouble on themselves and suffer the consequences.

The Taiwan question lies at the very core of China's core interests and is a red line that must not be crossed. Given its historical responsibilities, the Japanese side should exercise even greater prudence in its words and actions.

China has repeatedly stated its solemn position against the provocative and erroneous remarks on Taiwan made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last year.

Yet Japanese politicians such as Furuya ignored China's statements and escalated their provocations on the Taiwan question, gravely violating the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan.

These actions are eroding the political foundation of China-Japan relations and pushing the bilateral relationship into a deeper crisis.

Recent alarming developments, like harassment against Chinese nationals in Tokyo and the intrusion of a Self-Defense Forces officer into the Chinese embassy, show that far-right ideologies and forces are running rampant in Japan, with "neo-militarism" gaining dangerous momentum.

The Japanese public and the international community should stay alert. Such deliberate manipulations of China-related issues and the creation of disturbances serve a clear purpose -- to hype up the so-called "external threat" to mislead public opinion, create a pretext for military buildup, and pursue ulterior political agendas.

China will never allow Japanese right-wing forces to reverse the course of history, nor will it permit any external interference in the Taiwan question or the revival of Japanese militarism.

It is time for the Japanese government to engage in serious self-reflection and correct its mistakes, honor its commitments through concrete actions, and immediately cease all acts that damage China-Japan relations and threaten regional peace and stability.

If Tokyo persists in its misguided course and acts willfully, it will pay a heavier price. ■