The Chinese embassy in Japan said on Sunday that it "resolutely opposed" Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa's statement congratulating Taiwan's new president-elect Lai Ching-te. In a statement published on the Japanese foreign ministry's website on Saturday, after the results of the Taiwan presidential election were announced, Kamikawa congratulated Lai on his victory, calling the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing "an extremely crucial partner and an important friend." In response, the Chinese embassy in Japan, without mentioning Lai or acknowledging his victory, described Kamikawa's comments as "a serious interference in China's internal affairs", according to a statement published on Sunday on the embassy's official WeChat account.