Japan to the Rescue By James Reed
I do not know if this will change much, given the overwhelming military might of China, but Japan is throwing its hat into the ring now over Taiwan. And it is right to do so, as Japan correctly notes that Taiwan is but the thin edge of a mighty thick wedge, and they too are on the list, as is Australia, but nobody is talking about our doomsday. Best to get this all over with, sooner rather than later.
“Japan has said it would join America in defending Taiwan against a Chinese invasion, treating any such attack as an “existential threat” that could lead to an assault on its own territory.
The statement by Taro Aso, the deputy prime minister, signals a shift in policy towards Beijing. “If a major problem occurred in Taiwan, it would not be going too far to say that it could be an existential threat [for Japan],” he said.
“In such a case, Japan and the United States will have to work together to defend Taiwan.” He added: “We need to consider seriously that [the southern islands of] Okinawa could be next.”
There was a swift and angry response from Beijing, which considers Taiwan its territory.
“China foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular news conference on Tuesday that Aso's remarks 'harmed the political foundation of China-Japan relations', and that China 'resolutely opposed' them.
'No one should underestimate the Chinese people's staunch resolve, firm will, and formidable ability to defend national sovereignty,' he said.
China claims a group of Japanese-controlled islets in the East China Sea. The tiny uninhabited isles, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are off Japan's southern island of Okinawa.
Aso, asked about Japan's stance on the cross-strait issue at a news conference on Tuesday, said any contingency over Taiwan should be resolved through dialogue.
'We are closely monitoring the situation,' Aso, who doubles as finance minister, told reporters.”
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