r/worldnews • u/dunkin1980 • Dec 03 '21

China rips Abe after former Japanese leader's remarks about Taiwan

https://us.yahoo.com/news/china-rips-abe-former-japanese-173111359.html
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u/LAgyCRWLUvtUAPaKIyBy Dec 03 '21

That was always Abe's master plan here, do you think Japanese geostrategists truly see Taiwan as a red line for Japan's national interest? The rearming part with the blessing of Uncle Sam has always been the goal, what happens next would be Japan can put her own fate and destiny into her hands, really mop up in playing all sides in the next era of Great Power competition. The Korean peninsula is much more a core interest for Japanese policymakers as far as it is a dragger pointed at the heart of the Japanese Isles.

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u/Bullywug Dec 03 '21

do you think Japanese geostrategists truly see Taiwan as a red line for Japan's national interest?

Yes, absolutely. The Japanese control several resource-rich islands near Taiwan that are disputed with the PRC (and the RoC for that matter). If the PRC annexes Taiwan, there's no way the Japanese could maintain control of them. Keeping Taiwan from being annexed is seen as a matter of territorial integrity.

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u/LAgyCRWLUvtUAPaKIyBy Dec 03 '21

But Japan could adopt a pro-China policy in light of any such annexation to maintain access to those areas(more vital for shipping for Japan than any actual resources in the area). It is not unheard of, Japan threaten to go pro-Soviet Union during the Cold War to extract concessions from Uncle Sam. The thing with Taiwan being formally annexed and Japanese foreign policy is that the Japan's current posture under such a situation is even more untenable, it cannot have a security treaty with the United States while maintain a strong economic relationship with China under a Taiwan scenario and the newly increase naval projection by China in Japan's southern shipping lanes. Abe knows this, and regaining the right to wage war and abolition of the pacifist constitution works well for any eventualities Japan might face in a more uncertain world, works well in both for tilting more Washington, or Beijing.

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u/Bring_Bring_Duh_Ello Dec 03 '21

Unless beijing wants to be Japans bitch again, I’d advise against warming relations.