Japan creates new post to handle Taiwan affairs, as tensions rise with Beijing

Senior diplomat to be in charge of East China Sea maritime issues, including Taiwan and the Senkaku island chain also claimed by Beijing

Move comes at a time of increasing acrimony between Beijing and Tokyo, especially over comments on Taiwan from Japan’s ex-prime minister Shinzo Abe

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Beijing has threatened to reconsider bilateral ties with Japan over comments in support of Taiwan from former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. Photo: dpa

Published: 7:48pm, 17 Dec 2021Updated: 9:30pm, 17 Dec 2021

Japan plans to set up a new position to deal with Taiwan affairs, raising the stakes in Tokyo’s support for the self-ruled island in a move sure to further anger Beijing.

The new position, to take effect next April, will handle maritime issues in the East China Sea, including Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands, the Japanese foreign affairs ministry announced on Friday.

“This is a great step forward,” lawmaker Masahisa Sato said after the plan was revealed.

Beijing considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province awaiting reunification, and has a territorial dispute with Japan over the Senkakus, which it claims as the Diaoyu Islands.

Tokyo’s move comes at a time of rising tensions between Taipei and Beijing, even as Japan works more closely with the former on security, foreign and economic affairs, Sato pointed out.

According to the ministry, the senior Japanese diplomat will be closely watching the situation in the Taiwan Strait and facilitating exchanges between high-ranking Taiwanese officials and their European and US counterparts.

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