A former Japanese minister who nearly won last year’s race to lead Japan’s ruling party yesterday called on Japan, Taiwan and other regional democratic partners to form a “quasi-security alliance” given the unpredictability of the US.
Speaking at a seminar in Taipei, Sanae Takaichi, a senior Japanese Diet member who most recently served as Japanese minister of state for economic security from 2022 to last year, said that many Japanese have a false belief that the US would unconditionally defend Japan based on the 1960 US-Japan Security Treaty.
Since US President Donald Trump returned to office earlier this year, Japanese have seen Trump make contradictory statements on the treaty on a daily basis, leading them to second-guess if the US would come to Japan’s aid when needed, Takaichi said, adding that she has always called on Japan to beef up its self-defense capabilities.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan and Japan are facing similar situations, and both need to strengthen their respective self-defense capabilities, she said.
One cannot rely on a single country alone for protection in the current global environment, and while each country is engaging in strengthening its own defense capabilities, like-minded allies should also join forces to face challenges, she said.
Taiwan, Japan, Europe, Australia and India and other countries upholding democratic values should form a “quasi-security alliance” to protect each other’s security and safety, she said.
She was referring to the fact that since taking office, Trump has complained several times about the US-Japan Security Treaty as “one-sided,” most recently earlier this month as both allies were about to engage in trade negotiations.
The treaty grants Washington the right to have bases on Japanese soil for US troops and commits it to come to the defense of Tokyo if it is attacked.
In addition to defense cooperation, Takaichi also called on Taiwan and Japan to jointly bolster their economic security, including by building strategic partnerships in the semiconductor supply chain and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Takaichi arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a three-day visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Her delegation also includes Japanese House of Representatives members Hitoshi Kikawada and Masanao Ozaki, as well as House of Councilors member Kei Sato, it said.
The group earlier yesterday met with President William Lai (賴清德), Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and other Taiwanese lawmakers across party lines, Takaichi said.
Takaichi has been a member of the Japanese House of Representatives for the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2005.
She was one of the frontrunners in the LDP’s presidential race last year, but she ultimately lost in a tense run-off to fellow Diet member Shigeru Ishiba, who became prime minister.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taiwanese officials are courting podcasters and influencers aligned with US President Donald Trump as they grow more worried the US leader could undermine Taiwanese interests in talks with China, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has said Taiwan would likely be on the agenda when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) next week in a bid to resolve persistent trade tensions. China has asked the White House to officially declare it “opposes” Taiwanese independence, Bloomberg reported last month, a concession that would mark a major diplomatic win for Beijing. President William Lai (賴清德) and his top officials
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
RSS