Japan Today
politics

Japan elevates Taiwan security ties in move likely to rile China

42 Comments
By Kaori Kaneko, Yukiko Toyoda, Tim Kelly and Sakura Murakami

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Thomson Reuters 2023.

©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.

42 Comments
Login to comment

Taiwan is NOT Formosa. Taiwan IS China. Taiwan is NONE of Japan's business. Mind your OWN business, Japan!

-33 ( +5 / -38 )

The US probably has to go first, but it is entirely possibly to make a defense guarantee with Taiwan.

14 ( +18 / -4 )

This Taiwan issue was a non issue until recently when the US started meddling in there. The US still stands by the one China policy but their actions contradict this. Now Japan without any reason is trying to add fuel to the fire. It’s about time the US Government clarifies its actual position about whether they still follow the one China policy or not. This has to be agreed upon by the congress, senate who will draft the bill for approval ( not only the President saying The US will defend Taiwan as Biden has been saying ). It needs to go through the appropriate process. But in the end of China does invade Taiwan, the US alone doesn’t have the capacity to defend it ( they couldn’t even win against the Taliban in Afghanistan ). The war will have a non winner and might be the start of a nuclear world war! In the end innocent people will die and that will all be because of The US not abiding by its own “ one China policy “ which still exists!

-23 ( +2 / -25 )

@ Stephen

@ Jim

It is also "symbolic" of Japan's support for Taiwan, said one of the people who know about the appointment. "Taiwan had been asking for an active duty defense official to fill the post," he added.

Well, there you have it❗

A request from Taiwan, not China❗

Who should mind their own business??

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Taiwan is not China. It has its own history, culture ,ethnology and myriad other aspects that define it as not China.

China, stop building military bases in areas claimed by other nations.

China's economy is facing numerous problems most significantly a property collapse , most of China's posturing about external matters is the time honoured ploy to divert your peoples attention from internal woes.

By the way, most Chinese people I've met are really nice.....its their political leadership that stinks

18 ( +20 / -2 )

This military attache's main job is to plan for and coordinate the transportation of Japanese nationals out of Taiwan when the US triggers a war in the Taiwan Strait.

-17 ( +2 / -19 )

JimToday 07:20 am JST

This Taiwan issue was a non issue until recently when the US started meddling in there.

That is why there have been Taiwan Straits Crises for 70 years, right?

The US still stands by the one China policy but their actions contradict this. Now Japan without any reason is trying to add fuel to the fire. It’s about time the US Government clarifies its actual position about whether they still follow the one China policy or not.

If China is going to shamelessly link Taiwan recognition with any sort of mainland recognition, no, it is not time for anything.

This has to be agreed upon by the congress, senate who will draft the bill for approval ( not only the President saying The US will defend Taiwan as Biden has been saying ). It needs to go through the appropriate process.

The US doesn't have to do anything, but you seem to be mixing up One China with the Strategic Ambiguity.

But in the end of China does invade Taiwan, the US alone doesn’t have the capacity to defend it ( they couldn’t even win against the Taliban in Afghanistan ).

Presumably China won't be fighting with technicals coming out of the Pakistani mountains, but in any event, the US doesn't have to "win", it just has to make the war extremely costly for Peking.

The war will have a non winner and might be the start of a nuclear world war! In the end innocent people will die and that will all be because of The US not abiding by its own “ one China policy “ which still exists!

Peking has a role to acknowledge 75 year old facts that it doesn't control Taiwan if it doesn't want to end the world.

16 ( +17 / -1 )

The silly and senseless Japan's game as US lapdog, trying to stop the unstoppable..

China will annex its Taiwan province at the appropriate time..

Get used to it...

-19 ( +3 / -22 )

Stephen ChinToday  06:56 am JST

Taiwan is NOT Formosa. Taiwan IS China. Taiwan is NONE of Japan's business. Mind your OWN business, Japan!

Taiwan is Taiwan. Taiwan is the Republic of China. China is the People's Republic of China.

The military crises that China is preparing to create by taking Taiwan by force is very much Japan's business as it would likely draw it into the conflict due to proximity, US forces in Japan and the importance of a free and open trade route upon which Japan relies. In fact, China's behavior is the business of every regional nation.

The US/Indonesia exercises that started with the 2 countries has now expanded to 13 nations. The same for US/Australia exercises. The entire Pacific region is watching and preparing to stop unilateral Chinese expansionism.

China needs to denounce the use of force against Taiwan. China needs to withdraw it's ridiculous claims to the South China Sea, respect International Law and become a constructive member of the international community.

12 ( +16 / -4 )

Good move. Increase ties as much as possible. Ignore China's usual whining: Taiwan simply does not belong to them.

Stephen ChinToday 06:56 am JST

Taiwan is NOT Formosa. Taiwan IS China.

Nonsense. Taiwan is an independent country and has been for decades. Lai, Tsai and many others have said so very clearly:

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2023/08/16/2003804803

“Taiwan is already a sovereign, independent country called the Republic of China,” Vice President Lai said, echoing a stance President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) made public three years ago, in his first interview with an international media outlet since becoming vice president in 2020.

TokyoLivingToday 09:54 am JST

The silly and senseless Japan's game as US lapdog, trying to stop the unstoppable..

It is Xi's constant whining and aggression that is silly and senseless.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Taiwan is a Child of China!

Rubbish away the idea that Taiwan is a separate country!

Chiang Kai Shek's Army defeated by Japan sought refuge on Taiwan!

People in Taiwan came from China! The so-called Taiwanese are 101% Chinese! Get it? Taiwan does NOT know what a great chance of a happy life when they have to come back to China!

-15 ( +1 / -16 )

@ Stephen Chin

Taiwan IS China.

What nonsense. Taiwan is Taiwan. Period.

Taiwan is a free, progressive, liberal, admired, modern thriving democracy. Everything Communist China is NOT.

Taiwan could not be any different to Communist China.

Good on Japan for stepping up relations with beautiful, free Taiwan. I hope this antagonises and infuriates the Chinese!

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Mr. Chin above, if you research the ethnographic history of Taiwan, its people are not Chinese but a quite separate race. """Pacific Worlds "" is a book that details how Taiwanese indigenous people began the settlement of many distant Pacific islands. Not a lot of Chinese have the fuzzy hair seen on the indigenous Taiwanese people.......I recommend reading some academic research/books etc on this area....but you'll need to bring an open mind.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

@ Guru Mick - well said - spot on.

Taiwanese people and Chinese people are very different in terms of culture, personality, ethnicity and outlook. Call a Taiwanese person "Chinese" and they will be extremely offended. Can one blame them?

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Taiwan is not connected with mainland China from many decades and they have all the rights to be an independent nation.

Japan did good to support the island with this move.

Saying that,to the people that are saying that most Taiwanese have a totally different culture from mainland China they are wrong.

After the Chinese revolution I think in 1948 general Chan Hai Shek and many people moved from mainland to Taiwan.

Nowadays most of them have their grandparents coming from China.

The aboriginal people from Formosa are almost gone like the Ainu in Hokkaido.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Stephen ChinToday 10:45 am JST

Taiwan does NOT know what a great chance of a happy life when they have to come back to China!

The Taiwanese know exactly what to expect from China, which is why they overwhelmingly reject it.

This is the kind of "happy life" they'd get:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_China

9 ( +9 / -0 )

OTSUKARESAMADESUToday 12:15 pm JST

I hope the Taiwan issue it gets figured out without loss of lives

There is only one country you should be taking that message to and it ain't the US or Taiwan.

The USA has entered too many wars and lost recently to assume it wouldn't go to war over Taiwan is uncertain

So from that you should conclude that we are happy to enter wars. If you think the US is tired somehow from Afghanistan, you will have another thing coming. It is time for bully boy China to realize that it can't afford retaking Taiwan and never will.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

95+ percent of Taiwanese are ethnically and culturally Chinese (漢族), Han Ethnicity. The majority of Taiwanese first language is Hokkien which is also spoken in parts of Fujian Province on the Mainland. Chinese first started to migrate to the nearby Pescadores/Penghu Islands during the Song Dynasty (12th century). Chinese began to settle the Island of Taiwan during the late Ming Dynasty (15th century).

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

ghto!Today  11:09 am JST

@ Stephen Chin

Taiwan IS 

Good on Japan for stepping up relations with beautiful, free Taiwan. I hope this antagonises and infuriates the Chinese!

I am not talking about this specific Taiwan issue but in general hoping to infuriate your enemy is the best way to start a war.

But thanks god we have mature people in positions of power in Taiwan, Japan and US who are talking together behind the scene.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

TokyoLiving @ 9.45

Maybe the CCP could seek advice from Putin on how to conduct a special military operation that only takes 3 days.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

One thing super special about Taiwan is the pineapples. You can even eat the cores.

Taiwan owns the mainland, but they really do not want it now as it is a mess.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

If Taiwanese people say that Taiwan is not China, then it is an independent country.

Singapore is about 75% Chinese, but is it Chinese territory?

Taiwan has cultivated TSMC and controls the semiconductor industry, which is one of the most important in the world. As long as this exists, the United States and Japan will stand up to China's invasion.

If China thinks it can defeat the United States, the outcome will be clear even before the battle begins.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

People in Taiwan came from China! The so-called Taiwanese are 101% Chinese! Get it? Taiwan does NOT know what a great chance of a happy life when they have to come back to China!

If you think what separates a country and it's culture is the origin of your ancestors DNA then that just proves how backwards thinking and out of synch you are to the rest of the modern world.

I find it interesting that most Chinese friends I have and others I have met through the years have been overall very nice and level headed and surprisingly liberal in their thinking. But the few times I have had political conversations with Chinese they all of a sudden becomes very extreme, with views not fitting their personality.

I do believe most Chinese living rich in the cities is having a great life. Economy has been booming, quality of life has steadily gone up. People have been able to live very freely, and judging by all the public kpop dance covers I see from China, the gay community don't really have a problem being themselves in public either. I don't think they really realize they are living in a dictatorship with a dictator that as soon as he grabs enough power or just don't have any other big issues to deal with might just all of a sudden make those things they take for granted illegal. Tomorrow being gay could become illegal etc.

Chinese are the ones defending the CCP, but you are the one's that are in the most danger. the ideal situation for you would be if you could live like the Taiwanese.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

One side argues for freedom, let the people decide for themselves what they want their island to be.

The other side argues it's mine!! I have the right to dictate it!! exploit it how ever I want!!

Carefully pick a side you're on, I hope history will be kind to you.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The US still stands by the one China policy but their actions contradict this. 

Strategic ambiguity.

then that just proves how backwards thinking and out of synch you are to the rest of the modern world.

Unnecessary to put down others’ way of thinking when it’s different from yours.

You are right though, the way they use Chinese is closer to Anglican.

The people in Taiwan speak Chinese, write Chinese, read Chinese, eat Chinese food, adopt the Confucian notes and so on. There’s no use denying they are Chinese in Taiwan like if you’re American from Oklahoma.

If Taiwanese people say that Taiwan is not China, then it is an independent country.

That’s like saying the moon is mine so it’s mine. The U.S. had to fight a war to become independent and the people in Taiwan know this.

The majority of Taiwanese first language is Hokkien which is also spoken in parts of Fujian Province on the Mainland. 

They differentiate Hokkien (Fujian) and the Taiwan dialect. To me they’re the same but different like British English and Australian or American English.

Before then i was colonized at either end by the Dutch and Portuguese

I’m not sure if the latter colonized the island. Setting up a trading post and running a colony are not the same but I could be wrong.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Japan has appointed a serving government official to act as its de facto defense attache in Taiwan,

This shows Japan considers Taiwan independent, and certainly does not "belong" to China. The much touted "one China policy" is actually meaningless. The majority have known this for decades, but China has been fooled by its own desire to rule Taiwan.

The fact is, if nations actually believe that Taiwan was part of China, they would have no problem with China moving in to take over. The opposite is true with nations stating China has no right to force the people of Taiwan to join China, and that the choice is Taiwan's alone.

When nations sell defensive weaponry to Taiwan and actively support Taiwan having the right to choose for themselves, well if it walks like a Duck and quacks like a Duck and tastes like a Duck, then I would say it IS a Duck. Taiwan is treated as separate from China, because it IS independent from China and has been for 74 long years.

With Japan moving a serving government employee to Taiwan in a position of defense attache shows Japans position for all to see. Now others should also show China that Taiwan is considered independent.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Taiwan is NOT Formosa. Taiwan IS China. Taiwan is NONE of Japan's business. Mind your OWN business, Japan!

Taiwan is NOT China! Taiwan is none of China's business! Japan can deal with any nation it chooses to, including Taiwan!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Unnecessary to put down others’ way of thinking when it’s different from yours.

If someone's way of thinking is that your country belongs to us because we are the same race then I think you deserve to be put down a bit. Probably quite a few countries that can claim China with that way of thinking as well.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Taiwan is a country, no matter how much some people don't want to admit that.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Ethnically, they are Chinese.

Nationally, they aren't. They are Taiwanese.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

quercetumSep. 13 10:27 pm JST

That’s like saying the moon is mine so it’s mine.

If you live on the moon, you might be making a justifiable statement.

The U.S. had to fight a war to become independent and the people in Taiwan know this.

That war ended 75 years ago. Unfortunately all of the help from Moscow in the world couldn't bring Taiwan under the communist thuggery. So much for a divine mandate.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

OTSUKARESAMADESUSep. 13 11:19 pm JST

Not all Taiwanese oppose unification with China

But the vast majority do. 2/3 don't even want to be called Chinese. The 5-10% that want unification should not be able to sell the rest into slavery.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites