Japan’s sharper language on Taiwan is intended to push Washington towards a stronger security role, says Róbert Vancel, a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies.
00:00Japan is urging Washington to reinforce its commitment to Taiwan as Tokyo adopts increasingly firm rhetoric on cross-strait tensions, according to researcher Robert Wenzel.
00:11Wenzel, a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, says the shift is aimed primarily at encouraging the United States to take a more active role in maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait.
00:25And it also sends a message to Washington that, OK, we are willing to become a more assertive partner, more assertive ally, and we will take our share of responsibility for shaping security environment in our region.
00:47Right. So and also maybe given the sort of transactional relation between Trump's administration and Taiwan, maybe Senator Takahashi is also trying to shape U.S. perception about importance of Taiwan and really trying to maybe commit them more.
01:13Takahashi's remarks on Taiwan have previously triggered a diplomatic backlash from Beijing, adding to already strained China-Japan relations.
01:23China has repeatedly demanded that she detract comments suggesting a Taiwan conflict could be an existential threat to Japan that might justify a military response, arguing that such views breach the one-China principle.
01:36Wenzel said Japan is likely to adopt a more autonomous tone in foreign and security policy under the right-wing nationalist leader Takahashi, while remaining firmly anchored within the U.S.-led alliance.
01:48I think that we will see maybe more autonomous tone in Japan's foreign and security policy and maybe more agency in Japan's role within this alliance, which, on the other hand, I think will be much appreciated in the U.S., right?
02:12Because, or it should be appreciated in the U.S., because that's what they wanted, right?
02:18The U.S. want their allies to take over more responsibility and also more of the costs for their own defense, right?
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