Japan expected to take position of ‘ambiguity’ on Taiwan issue

Suga says statement with Biden calling for peace and stability across the strait ‘does not presuppose military involvement’

Analyst says Tokyo doesn’t want to take a clear stand on whether it would help protect the island because it would be a threat to its own security

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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said his statement with Joe Biden calling for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait “does not presuppose military involvement at all”. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:17pm, 21 Apr 2021Updated: 12:00am, 22 Apr 2021

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday downplayed the possibility of getting militarily involved in the Taiwan issue after angering Beijing with a call for “peace and stability” across the strait.

Suga made the call with US President Joe Biden on Friday during talks at the White House, the first reference to Taiwan – which Beijing claims as its territory – in a joint statement in over 50 years. The two leaders also said they would counter China’s “intimidation” in the Asia-Pacific region.

Asked by an opposition lawmaker on Tuesday whether Japan would get militarily involved in issues related to the Taiwan Strait, in line with US strategy on China, Suga told parliament that the joint statement “does not presuppose military involvement at all”.

Beijing – which has not renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control – has been wary of Japan’s growing alliance with the United States under the Biden administration, particularly after US and Japanese defence chiefs agreed in March to cooperate closely if Beijing decided to attack Taiwan.

According to Kyodo news agency, Tokyo has been looking at the feasibility of issuing an order for its Self-Defence Forces to protect US warships and military planes in the event of a crisis between mainland China and Taiwan, given their proximity to Japan and the possibility that an armed conflict could affect the safety of Japanese citizens.

Japan has meanwhile voiced concerns over China’s new coastguard law that allows its quasi-military force to use weapons against foreign ships that Beijing sees as illegally entering its waters.

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