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…
Francis Tuschek, Tokyo China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, expressed deep concern over comments made by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan, deeming them “shocking” in a statement released on Sunday. This incident marks a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions that have persisted for more than two weeks. Wang, the highest-ranking Chinese official to address…
Richards Sanders Nearly half of Japan’s population would support military intervention to support Taiwan should the island’s relations with Beijing descend into conflcit, a Kyodo News poll suggests. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on Friday that any attempt by Beijing to use force to fully reunify with the self-governing island could constitute a…
by Francis Tuschek, Staff Writer Japan’s parliament re-elected Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday after his ruling coalition suffered its worst defeat in over a decade, having lost its parliamentary majority in a lower-house snap election last month. The 67-year-old took over as prime minister from Fumio Kishida, who stepped down in September amid a…