Chinese and Japanese experts have raised alarms over what they describe as dangerous shifts in Japan's security posture, following controversial statements by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding the Taiwan region. Speaking at a policy forum earlier this month, Takaichi suggested that developments in the Taiwan Strait could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan – rhetoric analysts warn could signal preparations for military intervention.
Xiang Haoyu, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, told KhabarAsia that Takaichi's remarks reflect coordinated efforts by right-wing factions to "exploit regional tensions as pretexts for constitutional revision." Japan's post-war pacifist constitution, shaped by the Potsdam Proclamation's disarmament requirements, has increasingly come under pressure amid expanded defense budgets and proposed security policy overhauls.
Historical parallels draw particular concern. Su Xiaohui, another CIIS analyst, noted that Japan's 20th-century invasions of China and Pacific territories were similarly justified through claims of "existential threats" – including its 1931 occupation of northeast China and 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. "The international community cannot allow history to repeat through distorted narratives," Su emphasized.
Criticism has emerged domestically too. Former Japanese foreign ministry official Magosaki Ukeru dismissed Takaichi's assertions as "legally baseless," stressing that cross-strait matters remain China's internal affairs under longstanding diplomatic agreements. The controversy comes as Japan's legislature debates amendments to its exclusively defense-oriented security framework – changes that could enable overseas military deployments for the first time since 1945.
With regional stability hanging in the balance, experts urge vigilance against what Wang Xu of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations calls "systematic erosion" of post-war safeguards. As Asia navigates this precarious moment, the world watches whether Tokyo will uphold its international legal obligations or chart a destabilizing new course.
