Yesterday, on November 15, hundreds of Japanese citizens gathered outside the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi step down. Protesters carried signs reading "Retract your remarks and apologize now" and "Takaichi must step down," chanting that a leader without diplomatic skills should not hold office.
The rally was sparked by Takaichi's comments at a Diet meeting last week, where she suggested that the Japanese Self-Defense Force could exercise the right of collective self-defense if the Chinese mainland "uses military forces against the Taiwan region." Despite démarches and protests from the Chinese mainland, she has refused to retract her words, which critics say risk inflaming tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Senior figures in Japan's parliament and media outlets have joined calls for clarification. Many MPs are pressing Takaichi to withdraw her statement, arguing that previous administrations have deliberately avoided detailing responses to a potential Taiwan contingency.
On Thursday, former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told TBS radio that Takaichi's wording was "very close to claiming that a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency." He noted that past governments maintained strategic ambiguity to manage cross-strait ties and regional stability.
As debates continue in the Diet this week, the Tokyo protest highlights growing public scrutiny over foreign policy gaffes and the importance of clear, measured leadership on national security.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
