TaiwanPlus speaks with International Christian University's Stephen Nagy on what Tokyo and Canberra's new security pact says about regional dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, and what it could mean for Taiwan.
00:00We saw in the recent national security strategy from the U.S. that the country is looking to interlink a lot of the regional concerns in the Indo-Pacific.
00:08So how do you think that this Japan-Australia agreement fits into that framework?
00:13So what we've seen both in Australia and Japan is continue to invest heavily in the U.S. partnership by enhancing their burden sharing,
00:21as well as converging on their strategic understanding of the challenges facing the region.
00:26This means gray zone operations in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and of course, across the Taiwan Strait.
00:34And I think with Canberra and Tokyo agreeing to cooperate and invest more in their bilateral security partnership,
00:43it sends the message to Washington that, you know, we listen, we hear what you're saying, we are doing exactly what you want.
00:50We're investing our own security, but we're also doing this with the sense that it's going to help the United States invest in its security.
00:58We see both sides mentioned that they're looking to maintain peace and stability in the region, including in the Taiwan Strait.
01:04What does this agreement mean for Taiwan's role moving forward in either Japanese or Australian strategic planning?
01:10Well, whether it's Tokyo or Canberra or other capitals such as Ottawa or others,
01:17they're all interested in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
01:21They want to maintain a strong economic relations with both Beijing and Taipei.
01:27They want to ensure sea lanes of communication remain stable and governed by international law.
01:35They want to avoid a conflict.
01:37And they're all abiding by their own one-China policy.
01:40And their one-China policy is not Beijing's one-China policy.
01:44I think we need to be very clear about that.
01:46They, again, are also thinking about how over the long term that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait can be maintained.
01:56This comes off of several weeks of tensions between Japan and China following Prime Minister Takechi Senai's comments on Japan's potential involvement in a Taiwanese crisis.
02:06What do you think this agreement has to do with the last month or two of activity that we've seen in the region?
02:12It's using the matter-of-fact comments of Prime Minister Takechi that if there was a military conflict across the Taiwan Straits,
02:21that Japan would have to consider using military power to defend itself.
02:26This is not brain surgery.
02:28In fact, I think many, many capitals share her sentiments.
02:33I think the only suggestion I would have had for her is she should have said,
02:37this is not only Japan's issue, it's an issue for the global community.
02:41The reality is, is Taiwan is a global public good.
02:45It sits on these sea lines of communication that ferry about 2.3 trillion U.S. dollars of goods,
02:52key energy resources to the second largest economy, the third largest economy, Japan,
02:57and, of course, the 10th largest economy, South Korea.
03:01What happens to Taiwan absolutely matters to not only Japan, but the global community.
03:05What happens to Taiwan is a global community.
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