TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In the event of a Taiwan contingency, Japan would only be obligated to defend its territory, former Japan Navy Rear Admiral Yamamoto Katsuya said on Monday (Feb. 19).
“Under the Japanese constitution, our military activities are very limited,” Yamamoto said. If China invaded or attacked only Taiwan, “Officially, we cannot do anything,” he told Taiwan News.
However, he noted that Taiwan and Japan are geographically close to each other. If a Chinese blockade of Taiwan extended into Japan’s maritime borders or if an attack struck Japanese fishing vessels or navy ships, Tokyo would perceive it as a direct threat to the nation, he said.
Yamamoto, now a senior research fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said he believed “100%” that any action China takes toward Taiwan in a regional conflict would eventually directly affect Japan’s national security, which would prompt it to respond.
The rear admiral said many experts and Taiwanese misunderstand the oft-repeated phrase, “A Taiwan emergency is also an emergency for Japan,” taking it to mean direct military assistance. He clarified that it means indirect support, at least initially.
“We have to study and assess how to defend Japan, particularly the islands near Taiwan,” he said., adding, “This is very important not only for Japan but also for (the) defense of Taiwan.”
Yamamoto also highlighted the fact that Taiwan and Japan have close to zero exchanges in defense cooperation. This is due to China’s constant pressure on Japan to refrain from any official contact with Taiwan, he said.
Thus, defense cooperation “may have been neglected on both sides,” he said. Given the rising Chinese threat, the two countries must establish a framework or channels to facilitate closer military communication and intelligence sharing, he said.
Yamamoto’s comments come as Japan has become increasingly vocal about cross-strait tensions. On multiple occasions, it has stressed the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait. Japan has also beefed up defenses on its islands closest to Taiwan as well as formed a Taiwan contingency plan with the U.S. to better prepare itself.
