Thu, Apr 28, 2022 page8

• Taiwan and Japan make natural partners

  • By Tommy Lin 林逸民
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  On Friday last week, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the 2022 Diplomatic Bluebook, the Cabinet’s first official diplomatic report since Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took office.

  The document continues the pro-Taiwan stance of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, reiterates how much of an important partner Japan considers Taiwan and supports its participation in the World Health Assembly.

  It for the first time explicitly states that the current situation has entered a period of US-China competition and state competition, and hints at the need to bolster the Japan-US alliance more than at any other time.

  Many Taiwanese greatly appreciated the support Abe gave to Taiwan and his comprehensive policy of pushing back against China, cooperating with then-US president Donald Trump on containing China and making Japan-Taiwan ties more resilient than ever before.

  There had been concerns that, after Abe left office, his successor might not be as friendly toward Taiwan, especially given Kishida’s record of having an essentially pro-China stance.

  Now that US President Joe Biden is continuing Trump’s policy of containing China, Japan’s national strategy is on a more stable trajectory.

  China presents a challenge for Japan: It harbors enmity toward Japan because of their history, and Beijing causes tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, which are trade routes for Japan.

  Russia, too, presents a challenge, due to contested claims to four islands north of Japan proper, but China remains the major challenge.

  Tokyo has for many years expended much effort into competing with China’s Belt and Road Initiative in South and Southeast Asia, and has had some success in frustrating Beijing’s plans, while at the same time uniting allies such as the US, Australia and India into the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which reinforces the united effort to constrain China in the Indo-Pacific region.

  Japan has previously relied excessively on China for its supply chains and huge market, but has worked to reduce this reliance over the past few years.

  Japan has, until now, had a fundamental contradiction in its Northeast Asia strategy: Should it oppose China or Russia?

  However, since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s military and economic strength has been depleted, and Japan might have an opportunity to resolve its long-standing matter of the disputed islands.

  With Russia no longer posing a threat from the north, Japan can turn its attention to China. This is the reason that, in the official document, Japan is on the one hand claiming the four disputed islands to the north and on the other emphasizing its fundamental approach of supporting Taiwan.

  The friendly relations between Taiwan and Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic will set them in good stead for the future, and Taipei’s decision to finally lift the ban on foods imported from the prefectures affected by the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster has opened up new possibilities for trade.

  Located on the front line of efforts to contain China, Taiwan is a natural partner for Japan. This year’s Diplomatic Bluebook says that the island chain linking Japan to Taiwan, from Yonaguni Island to Ishigaki Island, is of crucial strategic importance for Japan. Taiwan and Japan are integral defensive links in the first island chain.

  This once more proves that Abe was right when he said that any emergency concerning Taiwan is an emergency for Japan.

  Tommy Lin is director of Wu Fu Eye Clinic and president of the Formosa Republican Association.

  Translated by Paul Cooper
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