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Staff writer, with CNA
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Taiwan is “very important” to Japan for three strategic reasons, a Japanese academic said on Friday while discussing scenarios under which the Japan Self-Defense Forces could be mobilized.
The issue has drawn attention since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi commented in November last year on what might constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan in the event of a Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan, which increased tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.
Speaking at a cybersecurity conference in Washington, Japanese National Institute for Defense Studies research fellow Ryo Kiridori said Tokyo views Taiwan as strategically vital due to its geographic proximity, role in key sea lines of communication and economic importance.
The Republic of China, right, and Japanese flags are pictured in an undated photograph.
Photo:Reuters
Any contingency involving Taiwan would heighten Japan’s sense of insecurity, he said, adding that Taiwan lies only about 111km from Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost point.
Kiridori also showed images of maritime traffic highlighting heavy shipping flows around Taiwan, including in the Taiwan Strait and the Bashi Channel, which he described as critical choke points for the Japanese economy.
Japan is increasingly dependent on semiconductors imported from Taiwan, which accounts about two-thirds of global semiconductor output, Kiridori said.
Japan’s interpretation of collective self-defense applies to situations in which Japan is under attack, or when an armed attack against a country with close ties to Tokyo poses a clear threat to Japan’s survival, he said.
What Takaichi said is if there is a naval blockade of Taiwan and if force is used, Japan could consider the situation a threat to its survival, he said.
“This is exactly in line with Japanese law and is essentially a restatement of existing legal principles,” he added.
Kiridori rejected the view that Japan has moved toward strategic clarity on Taiwan — some interpreted Takaichi’s remarks on simulated scenarios as the country’s most explicit public stance to date.
“I would say there are still ambiguities and uncertainties in the decisionmaking process,” he said, adding that any response would be determined on a case-by-case basis following comprehensive assessments.
What is certain is that Japan seeks to avoid confrontation, Kiridori said.
“We don’t want confrontation between the United States and China, and we don’t want a destabilized Taiwan Strait,” he added.
