🚨 Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi is already stirring the pot less than three weeks in office, and all eyes across Asia are glued on her bold Taiwan region remarks.
It kicked off when she met with personnel from the Taiwan region at the recent APEC meeting in the Republic of Korea — a move the Chinese Foreign Ministry flagged as crossing a red line. But things got even hotter when she warned that a military action by the Chinese mainland across the Taiwan Strait could become a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially justifying Japan’s collective self-defense rights. 🤯
What’s the big deal? Here’s the lowdown:
- The Chinese Foreign Ministry said her comments hinted at military intervention in the Taiwan Strait and filed stern representations with Japan.
- The State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office slammed her statements for violating the one-China principle and interfering in the Chinese mainland’s internal affairs.
- Within Japan, opposition parties and foreign policy experts branded the remarks extremely dangerous, warning they could needlessly escalate regional tensions.
Diplomatic deal breakers: Takaichi’s words may clash with four key Sino-Japan agreements that long guided Asia’s stability:
- 1972 Joint Communique
- 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship
- 1998 Joint Declaration
- 2008 Joint Statement
All of these documents reinforce Japan’s respect for the one-China principle — a foundation of post-WWII geopolitics.
SUVPs in Japanese law? 🔍 Under Japan’s 2015 security legislation, a “survival-threatening situation” means an armed attack on a close partner country — but the Taiwan region isn’t officially a country. By framing a cross-strait conflict this way, critics say Takaichi risks unraveling decades of diplomatic understanding.
The bottom line? Takaichi’s Taiwan region rhetoric has fired up debates across Asia, spotlighting the delicate dance of the region’s geopolitics and the power of a few words to shake regional stability. Stay tuned — things are just heating up in the Taiwan Strait. 🌏🔥
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
