Japan Should Increase Military Ties With Taiwan, Says Former Japanese Navy Chief

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Ashigara (DDG 178), foreground, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) and the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) transit the Philippine Sea on April 28, 2017. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Z.A. Landers

WASHINGTON—As the Chinese regime continues to flex its military muscle, the former chief of Japan’s naval forces said it is high time for Japan to increase its military exchanges and cooperation with its close neighbor Taiwan, which is also being threatened by Beijing’s aggressive activities in the region.

At a Sasakawa Peace Foundation forum in Washington on May 2, Tomohisa Takei, the retired admiral and former chief of staff of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), said that Japan should remain vigilant in ensuring that China doesn’t get an opportunity to change the status quo in the region.