Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in an interview voiced concern that China’s quest to unify Taiwan is no longer a distant threat, considering the “new militarism” driven by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) own ambition.
“Xi Jinping is consolidating his power base and he’s no longer hiding his ambitions toward Taiwan,” Abe told Hudson Institute Japan Chair deputy director Riley Walters and Georgetown University master’s candidate Eleanor Shiori Hughes in an interview conducted before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As Xi gains more political power, Abe said he is afraid a move on Taiwan or disputed territories in the South China Sea might be mere years away, whether by force or otherwise.
Photo: Kyodo News via AP
This new militarism has been evident in China’s increased saber-rattling across Asia, Walters and Hughes wrote, citing border skirmishes with India, trade disputes with Australia and brazen flybys near Japan aiming to “alter the dimensions of the Indo-Pacific region to its favor across multiple frontiers.”
At the same time, Tokyo is undergoing a fundamental shift in its relations with Taiwan, they wrote, with Japanese officials beginning to “identify many of Taiwan’s problems as being Japan’s problems.”
As evidence, they pointed to a US-Japan joint leaders’ statement in April last year noting the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, as well as Abe’s focus on Taiwan in his vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“In strengthening our relationship with Taiwan, I have come to the view that having interest in the security of Taiwan, and making a commitment to the security of Taiwan, will contribute to the peace and stability throughout the region,” Abe said.
He also remarked on the strong Japan literacy among Taiwanese leadership he observed when he joined the Japanese National Diet in 1993.
“My view was that we need to be able to maintain this very pro-Japan atmosphere that’s prevailing in Taiwan,” he said.
Abe’s own Liberal Democratic Party has taken strides to bolster this relationship in the past few years, including through a task force review published last year of Japan’s Taiwan policy and a virtual dialogue with the Democratic Progressive Party in August last year.
Some in Japan are concerned that enhancing ties with Taiwan could compromise Japan-China relations, but Abe also cautioned against maintaining a “business-as-usual” attitude.
If China becomes too integral to Japan’s supply chain, “there is a possibility that China will take hold of [Japan’s] chokepoints” and cut off access to critical materials, he said.
Abe considers supply-chain resilience to be crucial, and views Taiwan as playing a key role.
This is why Abe and many other officials are behind Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the reasoning behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s inroads into Japan, the authors said.
Abe was confident that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would continue his efforts, albeit without rocking any boats in Taiwan or China.
“Taiwan is very important geopolitically,” he said, adding that Kishida would make the right decision when it comes to the future of Taiwan-Japan relations.
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
Taipei and Kaohsiung have extended an open invitation to Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki after Chinese authorities abruptly canceled her scheduled concert in Shanghai. Hamasaki, 47, had been slated to perform on Saturday before organizers pulled the show at the last minute, citing “force majeure,” a move widely viewed as retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “very much welcomes” Hamasaki’s return and would continue to “surprise” her. Hamasaki, who has a large global fan base, including
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠)
RSS