Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe: "If China Attacks Taiwan, the US and Japan Cannot Remain Passive"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned that if China attacks Taiwan, the United States and Japan will not stand idly by. This statement is interpreted as emphasizing that the US-Japan alliance would jointly respond in the event of an emergency in Taiwan.

According to local media including Japan's Sankei Shimbun on the 1st, former Prime Minister Abe attended a virtual lecture at a forum hosted by a Taiwanese think tank, the National Policy Research Institute, and said, "In the event of an emergency in Taiwan, the US-Japan alliance will also be in a state of emergency. A military invasion of Taiwan by China would inevitably pose a significant risk to Japanese territory geographically and spatially," strongly warning, "The Chinese leadership, especially Chinese President Xi Jinping, must recognize this and there must be no misunderstanding."

Former Prime Minister Abe continued, emphasizing, "The Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyutai by China), the Sakishima Islands, and Yonaguni Island, which are disputed territories between Japan and China, are only about 100 km away from Taiwan," and added, "I intend to fully support Taiwan's current hopes for joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and participating in the World Health Organization (WHO), and I want to help strengthen Taiwan's international status."

This statement is interpreted as suggesting that in the event of an emergency in Taiwan, the US-Japan alliance would jointly respond and that Japan would actively intervene, including dispatching support troops. Although former Prime Minister Abe stepped down last year, he still commands the largest faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, exerting strong behind-the-scenes influence on the Japanese government.