Japan's recent political rhetoric has set off alarm bells among international security experts. At a recent official event, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned that any use of force by the Chinese mainland on the Taiwan region could become a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, hinting at the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait.
This statement, which the Chinese mainland lodged strong protests against, has not been retracted. Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, argues that Takaichi's comments reflect a push by right-wing factions in Japan to challenge the country's pacifist constitution and pursue remilitarization.
Su Xiaohui, associate research fellow at CIIS, notes that these remarks serve domestic political goals but also mark a broader rightward shift in Tokyo's strategy. Japan's post-war "exclusively defense-oriented policy" is anchored in the Potsdam Proclamation and its pacifist constitution, which renounce war as a means to resolve disputes. Dismantling these commitments, Su warns, would pose a serious threat to regional stability.
Wang Xu of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations describes the recent statements as "blatant threats of war." He points out that, in practice, Japan has gradually eroded its defense-only stance through legislative and institutional changes over the past few years.
Experts also draw a chilling parallel with history. In 1931, Japan framed its invasion of northeast China as a necessary step for national survival. It later expanded its aggression across Asia under the banner of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, culminating in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. When a nation views another's territory as essential for its own survival, it sets a path toward conflict, the experts caution.
Voices from within Japan have also challenged Takaichi's stance. Former foreign ministry official Magosaki Ukeru called the survival narrative baseless, emphasizing that the Taiwan question is purely an internal matter for the Chinese mainland and urging Japan to uphold its political commitments on the Taiwan region.
With tensions rising, the international community faces a critical test: whether to heed these warnings and shore up the post-war order that has underpinned regional peace for decades.
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Experts warn of dangerous signs of Japan's militarism revival
cgtn.com
