Taiwan is watching anxiously as it finds itself at the centre of a verbal clash between Beijing and Tokyo, fuelling fears that Taipei could be drawn into a major international conflict.
Though the island’s government has openly embraced Tokyo’s stance and condemned Beijing’s response as “hegemonic”, critics and political analysts have cautioned that Taiwan is now at risk of becoming a flashpoint in a confrontation between two major world powers.
The row erupted after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested earlier this month that a Taiwan crisis could be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, justifying a collective self-defence response. She said that any attack from Beijing on Taiwan could require Japan’s Self-Defence Forces to respond.
Beijing condemned her remarks as “dangerous provocation” and issued a late-night advisory urging mainland Chinese citizens to avoid travel to Japan, claiming their safety was at risk.
It also demanded that Tokyo retract Takaichi’s comments and announced a live-fire exercise in the Yellow Sea from Monday to Wednesday.
Taipei, which often calibrates its language carefully on regional disputes, has taken a firm stance against Beijing.
