Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi broke with years of precedent last Friday by hinting in parliament that Japan could provide military support for Taiwan under certain “worst-case” scenarios such as a Chinese attack on the democratic island.
Days later, Takaichi stuck to her guns, refusing to withdraw her remarks, but softened them Monday by claiming that she did not intend to contradict prior governments’ stances that have been deliberately vague on how Tokyo would respond to a Chinese move on Taiwan.
While her words may not signal a clear policy shift toward Taipei, Takaichi’s remarks — whether Tokyo’s official view or not — can be seen as part of a larger and more gradual evolution of Japan’s relationship with Taiwan and its growing concern over China’s designs on the democratic island.
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