China’s foreign ministry has lashed out at Japan’s decision to change the name of its de facto embassy in Taiwan and is urging Tokyo to abide by the one China principle.Tokyo’s office in Taiwan had been called the “Interchange Association, Japan” but starting Sunday its title will be changed to the “Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association,” a name implying that Taiwan is a country. Starting on January 1, the institution managing bilateral ties between Taiwan and Japan will be known as the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, signifying that Japan is willing to handle its relations with Taiwan on a “country-to-country basis.” This has touched a raw nerve with China. Hua Chin-yingChinese Foreign Ministry SpokesmanWe express our strong dissatisfaction over the negative measures adopted by Japan in relation to the Taiwan issue. China urges Japan to adhere to the principles set forth in the Japan-China Joint Communique and honor the promises it has made to China, uphold the ‘one China’ principle and refrain from sending false signals to Taiwan and the international community, thereby causing new problems to China-Japan relations.Eleanor WangMinistry of Foreign Affairs SpokeswomanThe position of our foreign ministry is that we will do what we need to do. So now we will focus on how we can strengthen exchanges between Taiwan and Japan and then let the meaning of our institutions be fully reflected in their names. Japan’s decision to change the de facto embassy’s name is a major indicator of increasingly warning ties and represents a diplomatic breakthrough for Taiwan. It is still undecided, though, if Taiwan will change the name of its de facto embassy in Japan to substitute the word “Taipei” in the title to “Taiwan.” Hsu Ching-hsiungJapan specialist, Tamkang UniversityWe should not only change the name to Taiwan Representative Office, but also formally become a nation. We must stand up and create our own country. This is the only way for Taiwanese people to have dignity. Taiwan’s de facto embassies abroad use the wording “Taipei” to describe themselves not only in Japan, but also in every other country in the world that is not a diplomatic ally of Taiwan. Polls from Taiwan Thinktank have found that 66 percent of the public supports changing the wording of the names of de facto embassies from Taipei to Taiwan, reflecting hopes that the government will address the situation.