Taiwan Looms Large in China-Japan Ties

Taiwan Looms Large in China-Japan Ties
Taiwanese sailors salute the island's flag on the deck of the Panshih supply ship after taking part in annual drills at the Tsoying naval base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Jan. 31, 2018. Mandy Cheng/AFP via Getty Images
Amrita Jash
Updated:

Commentary

The “Taiwan factor” has been mostly overlooked in understanding Sino-Japanese ties despite its significance. Beijing has stated the “question of Taiwan involves the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations.” However, the Taiwan issue has taken center stage with the recent release of the Japanese Defense White Paper that makes special mention of Taiwan in the context of the security environment surrounding Japan.

Signaling a strong message to Beijing, the White Paper categorically states: “Stabilizing the situation surrounding Taiwan is important for Japan’s security and the stability of the international community. Therefore, it is necessary that we [Japan] pay close attention to the situation with a sense of crisis more than ever before.” It also specifies that the “overall military balance between China and Taiwan is tilting to China’s favor, and the gap appears to be growing year by year.”

Amrita Jash
Amrita Jash
Author
Dr. Amrita Jash is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal-India. She has been a Pavate Fellow at the Department of POLIS, University of Cambridge. She holds a Ph.D. in Chinese studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University and authored the book “The Concept of Active Defence in China’s Military Strategy” (Pentagon Press, 2021).
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