From China’s point of view, the Japanese Prime Minister’s remarks on Taiwan test a red line - a trigger that sets this dispute apart from past flare-ups, analysts say.

Tension between Japan and China has escalated over the new Japanese leader's suggestion Tokyo could intervene militarily if Beijing attacks Taiwan.

Senior Japanese and Chinese diplomats made little headway in easing tensions between their two countries during talks in Beijing. The relationship has been strained after a comment by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae about Taiwan earlier this month led to a sharp backlash from China.

Tokyo's foreign envoy has reportedly left the Chinese foreign ministry building in Beijing without responding to questions from the media. Masaaki Kanai had met his Chinese counterpart Liu Jinsong to lay out Tokyo's position on Taiwan.

An offhand remark from the prime minister of Japan has roiled Beijing, unleashing an onslaught of accusations and even threats of decapitation from Chinese officials. The Chinese Communist Party is demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract an assertion she made last week,