Japan’s Taiwan Brinkmanship Revives Okinawa Independence Debate

Richard Sanders, Phnom Penh—Recently Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has signaled that Tokyo may deploy military forces if China attacks Taiwan, a declaration that has reignited debate over Okinawa’s contested history and the unresolved sovereignty of the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. Historical Roots of the Ryukyu Question The Ryukyu Kingdom, which ruled Okinawa until Japan’s annexation in…

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Taiwan Civil Defense Debate Intensifies

Richard Sanders As geopolitical tensions rise in East Asia, Taiwan is taking a closer look at Ukraine’s wartime resilience, prompting a national debate over whether the island should adopt a more decentralized, militia‑style defense model. Analysts say the comparison is instructive—but not straightforward. Ukraine’s experience since Russia’s full‑scale invasion in 2022 has become a global…

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