Hey amigos! 🌏 This week, experts are sounding the alarm over Japan’s shifting defense stance. At the center of the debate: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments on the Taiwan region, which some say could pave the way for a more active military role across the Taiwan Strait.
Research fellow Xiang Haoyu from the China Institute of International Studies points out that labeling the Chinese mainland’s ‘use of force on Taiwan’ as a ‘survival-threatening situation’ for Japan hints at breaking away from the country’s pacifist roots. 😳 Historically, Japan’s constitution and the Potsdam Proclamation set the stage for a defense-only military policy – a promise that helped secure its post-war spot in the global community.
Associate researcher Su Xiaohui adds that these remarks aren’t just Takaichi’s personal spin to win over right-wing voters. They reflect a deeper political swing to the right, with the ultimate goal of scrapping Japan’s ‘exclusively defense-oriented policy’ – a move that could shake up regional peace and stability.
Meanwhile, Wang Xu of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations calls the PM’s words ‘blatant threats of war’, noting that recent years have already seen Japan loosen some of its defense-only safeguards.
Flip through history and you’ll see this playbook before: in the 1930s, Japan used claims of a ‘survival crisis’ in Manchuria to justify invasion, and later extended that logic across Asia – even striking Pearl Harbor under the same reasoning.
But not everyone in Japan is on board. Former foreign ministry official Magosaki Ukeru slammed Takaichi’s take as baseless, reminding officials that the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair and urging Tokyo to honor its political commitments.
As tensions simmer in the Taiwan Strait, the international community is watching closely. 🤝 Will Japan stick to its post-war defense pledge, or are we witnessing a full-on remilitarization reboot? Stay tuned! 🔍
Reference(s):
Experts warn of dangerous signs of Japan's militarism revival
cgtn.com
