China sanctions Japanese lawmaker Furuya over Taiwan visits

China on Monday imposed sanctions on Keiji Furuya, the head of a cross-party Japanese lawmakers' group dedicated to strengthening Tokyo-Taipei relations, in protest at a group tour he led earlier this month and other visits to Taiwan in the past.The sanctions on Furuya, a House of Representatives member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, come amid heightened Sino-Japanese tensions after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks last November suggested Japan could deploy its defense forces in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.The 73-year-old, widely regarded as a close aide of Takaichi,…READ FULL ARTICLE