Japan scrambled fighter jets after spotting a suspected Chinese drone near its southernmost island, deepening tensions with Beijing following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks on Taiwan.

The opinion poll comes at a time when a diplomatic spat between Tokyo and Beijing has intensified following Takaichi's remarks related to Taiwan. The Japanese premier said on November 7 that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could amount to a "survival-threatening situation" and trigger a potential military response from Tokyo.

The diplomatic row over comments on Taiwan has evolved from a war of words to Beijing advising its citizens against travelling and studying abroad in Japan.

The leader of Japan's main opposition party on Sunday criticized Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for what he described as "rather rash" remarks about Japan's response to a Taiwan contingency, as the comments have grown into a bilateral diplomatic spat.

The Japanese public is divided over exercising collective self-defense against a Chinese attack on Taiwan. A recent poll shows mixed opinions, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aims to boost defense spending.

BEIJING—Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi continued to be buffeted by verbal attacks by the administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping a week after suggesting that Japan would provide support for Taiwan in the event of a Chinese naval blockade.

The Japanese prime minister’s comments about military intervention were unusually direct for such a sensitive topic.

Heavyweights clash as election of hawkish PM Sanae Takaichi and US policy unpredictability change calculus in region