The US would intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan, retired Japanese lieutenant general Hirotaka Yamashita said.
Yamashita made the remarks in an interview with the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) on Friday.
He is in Taiwan to promote his book on Taiwan Strait security.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Yamashita said he wrote Total Simulation of a Taiwan Invasion to warn and inform the Japanese public on the impact a conflict in the Taiwan Strait would have on Japan.
Most Japanese have heard the phrase “A Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency,” without understanding what that means for their nation, he said.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine under the pretext of demilitarization and fighting “Nazis” showed, Beijing would have no shortage of excuses if it wished to start a war against Taiwan, Yamashita said.
However, a US intervention is highly likely, as US President Joe Biden has stated multiple times that he would send troops to defend Taiwan, Yamashita said.
The loss of Taiwanese and US lives in a Chinese attack would force Washington’s hand, Yamashita added.
The US could defend Taiwan by deploying sea, air, electronic and cyberspace warfare capabilities, he said.
To invade Taiwan, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) must deploy a massive number of troops across the Taiwan Strait, exposing vulnerable troop transport ships to smaller asymmetric weapons systems, he said.
The loss of one large transport ship could result in more than 1,000 casualties, losses Beijing increasingly could not afford amid its low birthrate and aging population, Yamashita said.
The PLA can no longer count on “out-bleeding” its opponents, and high casualties from an attempt to take over Taiwan could become politically unaffordable to China’s leadership, he said.
Taiwan’s decision to reinstate one year of military conscription is well-advised, as asymmetric warfare offers the nation its best chance at victory, he said.
Increasing the number of ground troops works well with the US’ strategy of holding the line with uncrewed aerial vehicles and robot ships to buy time to mount a response, Yamashita said.
Taiwan is a valued friend to Japan and many politicians in Tokyo share former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s concern for the security of Taiwan, he said.
The visit to Taipei by a multi-party delegation of Japanese lawmakers to attend President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration last month demonstrated the breadth of support Taiwan enjoys among Japanese, he said.
Despite the constraints of Japan’s pacifist constitution, Taipei and Tokyo can collaborate on many security matters, such as making better arrangements for the safety of Japanese citizens in Taiwan during a military conflict, he said.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
BACK TO WINTER: A strong continental cold air mass would move south on Tuesday next week, bringing colder temperatures to northern and central Taiwan A tropical depression east of the Philippines could soon be upgraded to be the first tropical storm of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the next cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Monday next week. CWA forecaster Cheng Jie-ren (鄭傑仁) said the first tropical depression of this year is over waters east of the Philippines, about 1,867km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), and could strengthen into Tropical Storm Nokaen by early today. The system is moving slowly from northwest to north, and is expected to remain east of the Philippines with little chance of affecting Taiwan,
RSS