BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday the root cause of the current severe difficulties besetting China-Japan relations lies in the erroneous remarks regarding Taiwan made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, urging Japan to do soul-searching and create necessary conditions for normal exchanges.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a query, as six months have passed since Takaichi publicly claimed that a Taiwan contingency could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, implying possible military involvement.

Referring to the serious difficulties in bilateral relations, Lin noted the responsibility rests solely with the Japanese side. Genuine exchange and dialogue is only possible when there is respect and consensus is honored.

If the Japanese side truly hopes to improve relations with China, it should abide by the four political documents between the two countries and the commitments it made to China, retract its erroneous remarks, and safeguard the political foundation for bilateral relations with concrete actions, said Lin.

"We urge the Japanese authorities to face up to the root cause of the issue, do soul-searching, rectify their wrongdoings, and create necessary conditions for normal exchanges between China and Japan," Lin added.