Trade cooperation between China and Japan has been "severely damaged", the Commerce Ministry said on Thursday.

The dispute between Beijing and Tokyo was triggered by comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi earlier this month. She said the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and implied the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait.

"Prime Minister Takaichi's openly erroneous remarks concerning Taiwan have fundamentally undermined the political foundation of China-Japan relations and severely damaged bilateral economic and trade exchanges," Commerce Ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian told a regular news conference.

"Should the Japanese side persist on its course of action and continue down the wrong path, China will resolutely take the measures required and all consequences shall be borne by Japan."

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the conditions for holding a trilateral culture ministers' meeting among China, Japan and South Korea are currently not in place because of Takaichi's remarks.

The meeting was originally scheduled for this month. (Agencies)