Aso walks back claim Japan would join US in defence of Taiwan if mainland Chinese forces invade
- Gaffe-prone deputy prime minister had said aggression against the island could be seen as a ‘threat to Japan’s survival’ and that deploying the Self-Defence Forces would therefore ‘not be strange at all’
- He later backtracked, saying any clashes should be resolved through diplomacy. Beijing issued a stern rebuke, saying Japan’s ‘obsession with Taiwan’ showed it had not learned the lessons of history
Speaking on Monday at a political fundraising event in Tokyo, Aso said aggression against Taiwan could be interpreted as a “threat to Japan’s survival” and lead to the deployment of the Self-Defence Forces to exercise collective self-defence, the term in the constitution that limits the actions of the nation’s armed forces.
“If a major incident happened [involving Taiwan], it would not be strange at all if it touches on a situation that threatens [Japan’s] survival,” Kyodo quoted Aso as saying. “If that is the case, then Japan and the US must defend Taiwan together.”
Aso added that the situation surrounding the self-governed island was “becoming extremely intense”.
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Senior members of the Japanese government were quick to qualify Aso’s comments, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato saying they were the minister’s personal opinion and Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi adding that there had been no change in Tokyo’s support for the “one-China” policy, under which Taiwan is not regarded as a country.