The Japanese leadership says in case China invades Taiwan, the US and Japan would have to come together to defend the island nation.

According to a report in Taiwan News, Japan’s Deputy Prime Minister Aso Taro said: “If a major incident happened, it would not be strange at all if it touches on a situation threatening survival. If that is the case, Japan and the US must defend Taiwan together.” Taro was delivering a speech in Tokyo and highlighting the threat that China posed to the region.

Regional conflict

At the famous Tiananmen Square last week, on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of the Communist party of China (CPC), President Xi Jinping had resolutely said: "Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China's complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the Communist Party of China. It is also a shared aspiration of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation". 

China's demeanour regarding Taiwan and the consistent flow of threats has raised hackles in Tokyo. Earlier, Japanese Defence Minister Kishi Nobuo commented that Taiwan’s security is directly linked to that of Japan. He told Bloomberg in an interview: "The peace and stability of Taiwan are directly connected to Japan, and we are closely monitoring ties between China and Taiwan as well as Chinese military activity.”

Last month, Nobuo had appealed to the European countries to increase their military presence in the contested region. While addressing the European Parliament sub-committee on security and defence, Nobuo had said that the EU should increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific to balance China. Japanese leaders feel that increased China-Taiwan tensions have become a threat to Japan.

Rise in China-Taiwan tensions

Recently, a Beijing-based magazine outlined in detail how China will launch a three-stage assault on Taiwan, followed by a ground assault. The communist giant considers Taiwan to be an inalienable Chinese province, which has to be merged with China even if forcibly.

Dr Jagannath Panda, Research Fellow and Coordinator of the East-Asia Centre at the MP-IDSA, told India Narrative that the "Occupation of Taiwan is becoming a prestige issue for the Chinese Communist Party. Building pressure on Taiwan and making it realise that its future is with mainland China is a deliberate Chinese strategy".

China raised temperatures last month by sending a record 28 military aircraft into the Taiwanese aid defence identification zone (ADIZ). This was in response to a critical G7 communique that had asked Beijing to find a peaceful resolution to the Taiwan issue.

Japan-US military exercise

Japan is currently holding its annual military exercise with the US to “enhance interoperability and test and refine multi-domain and cross-domain operations”. Nobu tweeted that nearly 3,000 Japanese soldiers will participate in the exercise along with troops from the US.

As China throws its weight around in the seas on its eastern front, an increasingly uneasy Japan seeks alliances to balance a belligerent Beijing. In April, Tokyo and Washington had issued a statement encouraging peaceful resolution of Taiwan Strait tensions.

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