In his first foreign television interview since taking office, President William Lai (賴清德) issued a sobering warning about the threat China poses to global stability. Speaking with Japanese pop icon Sho Sakurai on his News Zero show, Lai said that Beijing’s ambition to change the rules-based international order begins with its goal of annexing Taiwan. A conflict across the Taiwan Strait would devastate global supply chains, underscoring the urgent need for deterrence and international unity, he said.
The interviewer also caught people’s attention. Sho brought an unconventional, but powerful blend of celebrity and soft power into the Presidential Office. His presence made complex issues — defense readiness, conscription reforms and regional geopolitics — accessible to younger audiences often disengaged from matters of national security.
Beneath the polished broadcast lay a sobering reality: Japan’s concern for Taiwan’s security has never been more visible, vocal or strategic. The evolving partnership between Taiwan and Japan — nations bounded by geography, shared democratic values and a complicated colonial legacy — has always been robust, despite being informal.
Today, that bond is more important than ever.
Taiwan views Japan with deep affinity, a sentiment shaped in part by the legacy of modernization during Japanese colonial rule. Politically, the relationship has sharpened amid rising Chinese aggression. Under former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Tokyo’s rhetoric shifted dramatically. Abe’s declaration that “a Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency” aligned Japan’s security with Taiwan’s stability. Japan’s 2022 National Defense Strategy identified Taiwan as a critical concern, and Tokyo has consistently supported Taipei’s participation in global forums, despite Beijing’s objections.
Why does Japan care so deeply? The answer lies in geography and economics. Taiwan is only 110km from Japan’s southwestern islands. Should conflict erupt, it would likely spill into Japanese territory or airspace. More crucially, Taiwan straddles vital sea lanes — the Taiwan and Luzon straits — through which nearly 80 percent of Japan’s energy imports pass. Any disruption to the maritime arteries could cripple Japan’s economy.
What is striking and troubling is that Japan appears at times more concerned about Taiwan’s security than many in Taiwan itself. While Japan runs TV programs and high-level dialogues on the risks of a Taiwan Strait conflict, some people remain disturbingly disengaged. Pro-China voices continue to operate freely within Taiwanese media and democratic institutions, while civic scrutiny of national security issues often gives way to apathy, partisanship or complacency.
The imbalance is untenable. Taiwan cannot outsource its survival. The burden of defending the nation’s democracy must rest with Taiwanese.
That begins with vigilance at home and abroad. The public must hold lawmakers and civil servants to account. They must challenge pro-China media narratives and reject candidates or institutions that undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty. Civic engagement, public pressure and democratic participation are national security imperatives.
“We have to prepare for war in order to avoid war,” Lai said in the interview.
He emphasized that the development of indigenous uncrewed weapons systems is purely defensive and proposed a cooperation with Japan in the uncrewed vehicle sector, signaling an opportunity for shared innovation and collective security.
Collaboration with Japan reflects a growing alignment between the two democracies. It is a partnership shaped by history, grounded in values and driven by necessity.
As authoritarian pressure intensifies across the Taiwan Strait, Taipei must not let its allies outpace its concern or commitment. Democracy cannot be defended by proxies. It must be protected by its own people.
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