‘Be strong’ in backing Taiwan, Japan minister urges Joe Biden amid Beijing spat

Calling the island’s safety a ‘red line’, deputy defence minister Yasuhide Nakayama urged Biden to take a similar line on Taiwan as outgoing President Trump

‘We are concerned China will expand its aggressive stance into areas other than Hong Kong,’ he says

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Japan’s deputy defence minister Yasuhide Nakayama. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:25pm, 25 Dec 2020Updated: 8:34pm, 25 Dec 2020

A top Japanese defence official on Friday urged US President-elect Joe Biden to “be strong” in supporting Taiwan in the face of an aggressive China, calling the island’s safety a “red line.”

“We are concerned China will expand its aggressive stance into areas other than Hong Kong. I think one of the next targets, or what everyone is worried about, is Taiwan,” Japan’s deputy defence minister Yasuhide Nakayama said.

Nakayama urged Biden to take a similar line on Taiwan as outgoing President Donald Trump, who has significantly boosted military sales to the self-ruled island and increased engagement.

Japan’s engagement with Taiwan has also flourished in recent years on a largely non-governmental basis. Tokyo maintains a “one China” policy, delicately balancing its relationships with Beijing and its long-time military ally in Washington.

Japan shares strategic interests with Taiwan, which sits in sea lanes through which much of Tokyo’s energy supplies and trade flow.

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