A former Japanese defense officer said Wednesday Taiwan is at the center of a new “one-theater” defense concept, which Japan reportedly proposed to the United States earlier this year in response to growing security challenges posed by China.
Kiyoshi Ogawa delivered a speech on Japan’s defense strategy in English yesterday during a teleconference organized by New Taipei-based Tamkang University. The former Japanese general, who retired in 2017, was a commander of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force’s Western Army.
In his speech, Ogawa said Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani reportedly proposed the “one-theater” approach to his American counterpart Pete Hegseth during their meeting in Tokyo on March 30, with the aim of containing China.
Photo: CNA
According to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun on April 14, the new concept links the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas as one theater where military operations are conducted during wartime. Historically, these areas have been treated separately.
Hegseth reportedly welcomed Nakatani’s proposal, unnamed government sources told the Asahi Shimbun.
While the Asahi Shimbun reported senior Japanese defense officials developed the “one-theater” idea, its geographic scope has not been defined. Neither Tokyo nor Washington have publicly confirmed discussions of the “one-theater” concept.
In his speech, Ogawa said Taiwan is definitely at the center of the “one theater” concept.
“To deter a Chinese invasion is very difficult, but I think we can [with joint efforts by regional partners,]” he said.
During last year’s Joint Sword-2024A and B exercises, China tested its Taiwan invasion scenarios, Ogawa said.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is likely to attempt to land in central Taiwan by means of “amphibious assault ships or transport helicopters” before heading north and south; namely, northbound to the political and economic capital Taipei and southbound to the port city of Kaohsiung which houses a key navy base, he said.
“China wants to invade Taiwan and achieve total control before foreign forces intervene.”
Asked what Taiwan could do to beef up its defense in case of a Chinese invasion, Ogawa said Taiwan’s Army needs armored vehicles in order to build up a stronger defense to buy Taipei more time before U.S. and Japanese forces can come to its aid.
Ogawa is currently a senior research fellow at Japanese think tank, Security Strategy Research Institute of Japan.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS