Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks last week about exercising the Japanese Self-Defense Force’s right of collective self-defense if the Chinese mainland uses military forces against Taiwan sparked a wave of criticism across Japan 😮.
Former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told TBS radio on Thursday that Takaichi’s words were "very close to claiming that a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency," noting that past cabinets deliberately avoided specifying responses to such scenarios 🧐.
Hiroshi Ogushi of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) urged on Tuesday for Takaichi to retract her statement, warning that recognizing a "survival-threatening situation" could amount to a declaration of war 🔥.
Ichiro Ozawa, also from the CDPJ, posted on X that the remarks have created a "true existence crisis" forcing "great sacrifices on the people," and stressed that "diplomacy and politics must always remain calm."
Yukio Hatoyama, another former prime minister, echoed this view on X, arguing that Japan should not interfere in the Chinese mainland’s internal affairs 🌐.
Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Social Democratic Party, called Takaichi’s framing of a "Taiwan contingency" as illogical, saying it runs counter to Japan’s cautious defense posture ⚖️.
As debates heat up in the Diet and on social media, many see this row as a test of Japan’s strategic priorities and its role in regional security. Can bold rhetoric be balanced with measured diplomacy? Stay tuned as Japan navigates these choppy waters 🌊.
Reference(s):
Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan continue to spark domestic outcry
cgtn.com
