Breaking | Japan’s Sanae Takaichi reaffirms Taiwan is a part of China

Japan’s position on Taiwan remains unchanged, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday, referring to a 1972 commitment that led to the normalisation of ties between Beijing and Tokyo.

“The Japanese government’s basic position regarding Taiwan remains as stated in the 1972 Japan-China joint statement, and there has been no change to this position,” Takaichi told the Japanese parliament.

According to the 1972 statement, “the government of the People’s Republic of China reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China” and the Japanese government “fully understands and respects this stand”.

Takaichi’s comments come nearly a month after she told the parliament that an attack on Taiwan by the PLA could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” – one that could allow Tokyo to engage in military action.

It was the most explicit statement by a sitting Japanese prime minister on how Tokyo might respond to a Taiwan contingency and marked a departure from the country’s long-held strategic ambiguity over the issue – a position the US has also maintained, and plummet bilateral relations to a record low.

More to follow…