Japan’s Takaichi Suggests Self-Defense Force Could Respond to Taiwan Contingency

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: EPA/Shutterstock

Over the past week, China and Japan have traded sharp exchanges as tensions rise over Taiwan and Japan’s stance on its own defense options.

The dispute began when Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, hinted that Japan could deploy its own Self-Defense Forces if China attacked Taiwan. In parliament, when asked what circumstances around Taiwan would threaten Japan’s survival, she replied that battleships and the use of force could constitute a “survival-threatening situation,” triggering Japan’s emergency defense provisions.

China’s foreign ministry labeled the remarks “egregious.” The row intensified when Xue Jian, China’s consul general in Osaka, reshared a news article about Takaichi’s comments on X (formerly Twitter) and added a post suggesting forceful action. Japan’s government condemned Xue’s remarks as inappropriate, and both sides lodged protests with the other.

Takaichi defended her stance on subsequent days, saying her remarks aligned with the government’s traditional position, but she also said she would be careful about commenting on specific scenarios in the future.

Japan’s historical tensions with China run deep, rooted in 19th-century conflicts and Japan’s World War II actions in China. The recent political trajectory Takaichi’s hawkish stance, her ties to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Japan’s push to strengthen defense capabilities has raised concerns in Beijing. Takaichi has supported closer U.S.-Japan defense cooperation and called for increased defense spending, signaling potential shifts in regional security dynamics.

Taiwan remains a flashpoint. Beijing maintains that Taiwan is part of China and has not ruled out force to reunify the island, a posture that unsettles Taipei and its allies, including the United States and Japan. Earlier in the month, Beijing accused Takaichi of violating the One-China Principle after she posted photos with a Taiwanese official during the APEC summit.

The broader issue is the shift away from decades of “strategic ambiguity” toward clearer, if contested, stances on Taiwan. The United States traditionally maintains ambiguity about defending Taiwan to deter aggression, while Japan has largely avoided public dialogue on Taiwan’s status. Past statements by Japanese officials have drawn swift rebukes from Beijing, underscoring how delicate, high-stakes the regional balance remains.