Japanese warning to ‘wake up’ to protect Taiwan hits a nerve in Beijing
- Chinese foreign ministry ‘strongly dissatisfied with erroneous remarks’ and says Tokyo broke a promise by calling the island a country
- Japan’s deputy defence minister had questioned the long-standing position of countries following the ‘one China’ policy
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Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Beijing had “lodged a solemn representation to the Japanese side”. Photo: AFP
China on Tuesday said it was “strongly dissatisfied” with a senior Japanese official’s remarks that it was
to Beijing’s pressure on and protect the island “as a democratic country”.Japanese deputy defence minister Yasuhide Nakayama had a day earlier warned of the growing threat posed by Chinese and Russian collaboration and questioned the long-standing position of countries like
and the US to follow the “one China” policy that recognises Beijing instead of Taipei.“Was it right?” he asked at an online event hosted by Washington-based think tank the Hudson Institute, referring to how future generations will judge policymakers on the issue. “I don’t know.”
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Taiwan security directly linked to Japan, defence minister Kishi says
- Nobuo Kishi said as Beijing strengthens its military, its balance with Taiwan is tipping heavily to the Chinese side
- Taiwan is crucial for Tokyo, with the Luzon Strait to the south an important shipping lane for the energy tankers Japan relies on to power its economy
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Taiwan’s armed forces conduct a naval drill in Yilan county. File photo: AP
Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said the security of
was directly linked with that of Tokyo, as tensions around the island build up and its defences are increasingly overshadowed by China’s military might.The comments from a cabinet minister known for his
came a week after China sent 28 warplanes near Taiwan, in the latest ratcheting up of military pressure around the democratically ruled island, 110km from Japan at its nearest point. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory.“The peace and stability of Taiwan is directly connected to Japan and we are closely monitoring ties between China and Taiwan, as well as Chinese military activity,” Kishi said in an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday.
“As China strengthens its military, its balance with Taiwan is tipping heavily to the Chinese side,” he said, adding the gap is widening every year.
Taiwan is crucial for Tokyo, with the Luzon Strait to the south an important shipping lane for the energy tankers resource-poor Japan relies on to power its economy.
On April 17, Kishi visited Yonaguni, the nearest Japanese island to Taiwan and network FNN reported him as saying days later at a ruling party seminar that if Taiwan “turns red,” the situation may change drastically, and
needs to be ready for that. China’s Foreign Ministry called the comments reckless and irresponsible.The younger brother of former prime minister
, Kishi was among a group of lawmakers who paid a visit to Taipei last year to convey condolences over the death of its former president, Lee Teng-hui.03:25
Japan likely to defend Taiwan if Beijing makes moves, says ex-US national security official
Taiwan has become an increasingly important topic for the US and its allies, many of whom are concerned about China’s growing assertiveness around an island whose
has become a linchpin of the global supply chain.
Japan’s Prime Minister
and US President emphasised the importance of reducing tensions in the Taiwan Strait following their April summit, the first mention of the issue in a joint statement since 1969.In the same statement, Japan, whose pacifist constitution leaves it heavily dependent on the US for its “nuclear umbrella,” vowed to bolster its own defence capabilities.
Asked how this would affect a defence budget that has been increasing for nine years, Kishi said a limit of 1 per cent of gross domestic product wouldn’t necessarily apply.
“Our defence spending should be based on what equipment and personnel the country needs for its defence, as well as the national security situation,” he said, adding that the country has not tried to keep to the limit since the 1980s. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to link it automatically to GDP.”
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Tensions between Beijing and Taipei ‘could threaten Japan’
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