Julian McBride
On November 7, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that any use of military force by China against Taiwan would be considered a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, prompting Tokyo to consider deploying its defense apparatus.
Tokyo’s 2025 position is broader than that of other regional actors regarding the defense and sovereignty of Taipei, a shift that will likely affect Beijing’s strategies of coercion and aggressive maritime maneuvers.
Japan’s stance, once ambiguous, is now explicit: an attack on Taiwan will be regarde as an attack on Japanese maritime, economic and security interests.
During the Lower House Budget Committee, Takaichi clarified that her remarks were part of a broader strategy aligned with prior Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) PMs, such as the now-deceased Shinzo Abe, who introduced collective self-defense in 2015.
However, according to the Asahi publication, Takaichi’s stance differs from Abe’s, as the late prime minister never stated that an invasion or blockade of Taiwan would have warranted a Japanese military response.
Previously, Japan was unclear about whether it would intervene if Taiwan came under military pressure from China. In the specific case of a Chinese navy (PLAN) military blockade, Japan considers the wartime scenario existential, meaning the JSDF would have to respond with various measures.
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