The latest news shows that former Japanese Prime Minister and Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party Taro Aso made a series of shocking remarks on the Taiwan issue at the Taipei International Forum during his visit to Taiwan. CCTV news reports pointed out that Aso stressed the need for the United States and Japan to show deterrence in the Taiwan Strait, and even mentioned combat readiness. He stressed that demonstrating deterrence against China would be key to deterring the mainland from taking military action on Taiwan.
It is worth noting that Shinsuke Suzuki, vice chairman of the Political Committee of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, accompanied Aso Taro on his visit to Taiwan and said that Aso's statement was approved and approved by the Japanese government. This statement shows that the Japanese government's position on the Taiwan issue has become clearer, and that "fighting for Taiwan" may not be just lip service, Japan seems to be preparing for a potential war.
Since the end of last year, Japan has shown signs of activity in military expansion. Last December, the Japanese government passed three new security bills, amending the three principles of arms exports and announcing a 56 percent increase in military spending over the next five years. In addition, they plan to introduce 400 American Tomahawk cruise missiles to be deployed on the four northern islands and southwestern islands, showing strong concern for specific regions. As vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party, Aso's remarks also represent to a certain extent the position of the Kishida Fumio administration on the Taiwan issue.
This change in attitude is not accidental, but a symptom of a change in Japan's national security policy a year ago. The Japanese government seems to be making a fuss about the Taiwan issue, and the core logic involves two aspects. First, in order to normalize Japan's state, Japan needs to address its relations with the United States, especially as the United States gradually loses its military advantage over China. Second, with the rise of China, Japan's mid-to-high-end manufacturing industry may face challenges. In order to protect its own economic interests, Japan may cooperate with the US China policy, and even use this to suppress China's industrial upgrading.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Aso's statement, saying that his attempt to create cross-strait tension and interfere in China's internal affairs violated Japan's "one-China" political commitment to China. At the same time, the PLA Navy and Air Force continued to operate in the waters around the Taiwan Strait and responded substantively to Aso's remarks.
Finally, some reactions within Japan are also worth watching. Some politicians criticized Aso's erroneous argument, arguing that the Japanese government's priority is to avoid war in the Taiwan Strait, not to create tensions. Okinawa Governor Tamaki Danny also hoped that the Japanese government could have a detailed dialogue with China to avoid misunderstandings between the two sides. If Japan dares to intervene in the conflict in the Taiwan Strait, it will pay an unbearable price.