China and Japan spar over Taiwan
Forget a thaw in Sino-Japanese ties.
- Bilateral relations may be headed back into the deep freeze.
On November 7, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told Japan’s parliament that any attack on Taiwan could constitute “a situation threatening Japan’s survival" (Reuters).
That phrase is more than just rhetorical bluster: It’s a legal standard that, if met, could authorize Japan to mobilize its security forces.
Some context: China has been eyeing Takaichi warily since she took office as prime minister last month.
- A protégé of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she has consistently taken positions likely to rankle Beijing, including downplaying Japanese war crimes in World War II.
- She’s also repeated Abe’s well-known formulation that “an emergency for Taiwan is an emergency for Japan.”
Takaichi’s comments prompted Chinese Consul-General in Osaka Xue Jian to post on X that "the dirty neck that sticks itself in must be cut off" (NHK World).
- Japan’s chief cabinet secretary called the post “extremely inappropriate,” and it was subsequently deleted.
Get smart: China-Japan relations are extremely delicate at the best of times.
- With a nationalist like Takaichi in charge, it was only a matter of time before relations broke down.
Get smarter: If Japan continues to challenge China’s red lines, Beijing won’t hesitate to bring economic pressure to bear on Tokyo.