Sun, May 17, 2026 page8

• Japan is critical to Taiwan’s security

  • By Wang Hui-sheng 王輝生
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  The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Thursday attracted worldwide attention. Japanese media across the political spectrum largely reported on the meeting with the theme of US-China rapprochement, bypassing Japan and raising concerns, reflecting Japan’s deep unease over direct coordination between the US and China.

  In October last year, Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a US-Japan summit in Tokyo, where they said it was the beginning of a new “golden age” in the US-Japan alliance and reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

  Takaichi would go on to say during a parliamentary session the next month that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, which was widely interpreted as the first indication that Japan might legally intervene in a Taiwan Strait crisis.

  These remarks triggered a strong backlash from Beijing, which has continued to pressure and criticize Japan for the past six months. However, Takaichi has shown no sign of backing down.

  Interestingly, despite China’s political pressure and military intimidation, Takaichi’s approval rating has consistently remained at about 70 percent. She even led her ruling coalition to a landslide victory in Japan’s House of Representatives in February, securing more than three-quarters of the seats and creating a rare position of strength in Japanese politics.

  Takaichi has directly linked a “Taiwan contingency” to Japan’s national security, effectively incorporating the Taiwan Strait issue into the framework of the US-Japan alliance.

  In other words, if Beijing attempts to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, it would not face only Taiwan, but coordinated pressure from Taiwan, Japan, the US and the broader democratic world.

  Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz triggered international backlash, serving as a stark reminder of the world’s heightened sensitivity toward maintaining maritime order.

  However, although the US Department of State has offered verbal support for Takaichi’s position, Trump himself has never issued a clear statement. In particular, Trump’s characterization of the US and China as a “G2” has heightened Japan’s concerns that it could be sidelined if Washington and Beijing bypass it to engage in direct bargaining.

  With the situation in the Middle East uncertain and the US and China moving toward closer engagement, Japan is naturally exercising vigilance. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Thursday reiterated that peace in the Taiwan Strait is crucial to the international community, while Takaichi held a phone call with Trump to strengthen intelligence sharing.

  This Trump-Xi meeting appears more like a temporary truce in which both sides sought their own gains. Trump is facing electoral pressure, while Xi is dealing with economic slowdown and a series of military purges. Both sides need breathing room.

  However, what truly warrants attention is not the diplomatic rhetoric surrounding the Trump-Xi meeting, but the fact that Takaichi has formally elevated the concept of a “Taiwan contingency” into a core element of Japan’s national security strategy. Although this move has provoked strong backlash from Beijing, Trump has not publicly opposed it. This is no longer merely a routine diplomatic signal, but one that could gradually evolve into a crucial strategic pillar for maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait.

  Wang Hui-sheng is a founding member of the East Asian Research Institute.

  Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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