Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has warned that the U.S.-Japan strategic alliance will collapse if Japan ignores the conflict on Taiwan, but distanced herself from previous comments that hinted at a possible military response in such a scenario.
take collective action
“I want to make it absolutely clear that if China and the United States ever end up in a conflict over Taiwan, it’s not a question of Japan taking military action,” Takaichi said on a television program broadcast late Monday night.
She added: “If something serious happened there, we would have to rescue the Japanese and Americans in Taiwan.” In such cases, we may act jointly.
I believed that if American forces acting jointly with us were attacked and Japan simply retreated without doing anything, the Japan-US alliance would collapse. Therefore, we would like to make a comprehensive judgment based on the situation on the ground and respond strictly within the scope of the law and the current law.
impose restrictions on exports
Sino-Japanese relations have deteriorated to their worst level in years since Takaichi said last November that Japan’s military response might be necessary in the event of a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan.
The Chinese government responded with export restrictions, flight cancellations and sharp comments, repeatedly demanding that those comments be retracted.
Takaichi has refused to retract his November remarks, stressing that his position is consistent with established Japanese policy and saying China’s characterization of the statement is not consistent with the facts.
Japan’s pacifist constitution prohibits direct military action but allows for the exercise of collective self-defense, or the defense of the United States or other friendly nations under attack if Japan faces an existential threat.
Mr. Takaichi has maintained a high approval rating since taking office in October 2025, and he called for an early election on February 8th in order to capitalize on that popularity.
China: Correction of Takaichi’s statement
Meanwhile, China’s special envoy to the United Nations, Hu Kong, once again called on Japan to review and correct Gaoichi’s “erroneous statements” regarding Taiwan.
According to a report by China’s state-run news agency Xinhua, Fu pointed out that 80 years ago, referring to World War II, Japanese war criminals were tried at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, and warned against illegal attempts to revive militarism or to once again invade or expand.
Fu added that Gaoichi had recently gone against the tide of history by publicly linking China’s Taiwan to a situation that threatened Japan’s existence, sending false signals suggesting possible military intervention in the Taiwan issue, and refusing to retract his false statements.
Fu believed that Taiwan’s return to China was the result of the victory in the global anti-fascist war and constituted an important part of the post-World War II international system, an established historical, political and legal fact.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai has warned that the U.S.-Japan strategic alliance will collapse if Japan ignores the conflict in Taiwan, but distanced herself from previous comments that hinted at a possible military response in such a scenario.
join the action
“I want to make it clear that this does not mean that Japan will take military action in the event of a conflict between China and the United States over Taiwan,” Takai said on a television program broadcast late last night.
She added: “If something serious happened there, we would have to rescue the Japanese and Americans in Taiwan.” In such cases, joint action may be taken.
He believed that if U.S. forces conducting joint operations were attacked and Japan withdrew without doing anything, the Japan-U.S. alliance would collapse. Therefore, we will make a comprehensive judgment based on the situation on the ground and respond strictly within the scope of laws and current laws.
export restrictions
Sino-Japanese relations have deteriorated to their worst level in years since Takai said last November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan might require Japan’s military response.
In response, the Chinese government imposed export restrictions, canceled flights and issued sharp comments, repeatedly demanding that those comments be retracted.
Takai refrained from retracting her November remarks, insisting her position was consistent with established Japanese policy and saying China’s characterization of her remarks was inconsistent with the facts.
Japan’s pacifist constitution prohibits direct military action, but allows for the exercise of the right of collective self-defense. That means defending the United States and other friendly nations under attack should Japan face an existential threat.
Mr. Takai has maintained a high approval rating since taking office in October 2025, and is calling for an early election on February 8th in order to capitalize on that popularity.
China: Takai City’s statement is correct
China’s special envoy to the United Nations, Fu Cong, once again called on Japan to review and correct Takai’s “erroneous statements” regarding Taiwan.
According to China’s state-run news agency Xinhua, Fu pointed out that 80 years ago, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East prosecuted Japanese war criminals, citing World War II, and warned against any illegal attempts to revive militarism or to once again invade or expand.
Fu added that Takai has recently gone against the flow of history by publicly linking China’s Taiwan to a situation that threatens Japan’s existence, sending misleading signals suggesting possible military intervention in the Taiwan issue, and refusing to retract his false statements.
Mr. Fu believed that Taiwan’s return to China was the result of the victory in the global war against fascism and constituted an important part of the post-World War II international system, which was an established historical, political and legal fact.
