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.
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