The Friendship of Convenience: Japan- Taiwan Relations
The world encountered deepening of ties between Japan and Taiwan with the opening of 7th Japan- Taiwan Exchange Summit held in Kobe city in November. This year’s summit will be engraved in the history of Japan – Taiwan relations. Both countries facing the pandemic induced aftershocks but that didn’t halt this annual gathering between them.
The summit observed largest footfall ever of 510 participants unanimously voting for the announcement of the Kobe Declaration [1]. The declaration notifies Taiwan Relations Act for Japan or formally known as the Basic Law on Japan- Taiwan Relations and culmination of Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation.
Japan has maintained cordial relations with Taiwan times immemorial. During the period of colonization in 1600s, there was immense trade between the two countries. Sugar and silk were exported from Taiwan, on the other hand precious metals, porcelain and armors were imported. The relationship saw a major change when Taiwan was ceded to the Empire of Japan post Sino- Japanese war in the 19th century. Later, Taiwan was governed by Republic of China after Japan’s loss at the end of Second World War in 1945. Diplomatic relations were established between the governments of Japan and Taiwan in 1952 and the same year, a formal peace treaty i.e., Treaty of Taipei was announced at a time when Japan refrained from officially recognizing People’s Republic of China formed in 1949. Japan that time adopted a ‘Theory of Uncertainty of Jurisdiction over Taiwan’ as an underlying tenet of its policy towards China [2]. Global politics overturned in 1972 when Taiwan was voted out of the UN and favored the PRC. Japan revoked the peace treaty with Taiwan as a pre- condition to establish ties with China. Although, Japan promised to continue exchanges with Taiwan on personal and regional levels.
In the present scenario, friends and foes have changed. Japan is anxious with China’s increasing unipolar behavior in the region. China’s continuous attacks on Taiwan using its financial and muscular prowess is publicly resented by Japan. These instances are bringing Japan closer to Taiwan. There are number of economic and security issues upon which Japan and Taiwan collaborate. Relations have been more cordial under the incumbent Prime Minister of Japan, Kishida Fumio.
When Kishida took oath for the prime ministership of Japan in October, Taiwan celebrated this moment by circulating anecdotes from its national archives. The pictures were from the year of 1997 when Kishida accompanied the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) delegation to Taiwan. He bravingly posed for a photo alongside the then President of Taiwan Lee Teng-hui who was popular as ‘Mr. Democracy’ for his role in island’s transition from authoritarian rule. These anecdotes are more than just historical trivia. They demonstrate the close and warm relations Japan has built with Taiwan over all these years.
Japanese has always been alarmed by China’s attempt to cause instability in the Taiwan Strait. The officials in Japan have acclaimed the security of Taiwan having direct consequence on the security of Japan. Keeping in mind the unchanging truths of our geography as Japan’s westernmost municipality, on the island of Yonaguni, is just 70 miles (i.e.,113 kms) from Taiwan. These imminent dangers indicate Japan will continue to pursue a closer dialogue with Taiwan and as Prime Minister Kishida says, “the rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait is the next big problem” [3]. Even Kishida’s predecessor Suga Yoshihide during his visit to the White House in April announced a joint statement with the United States President Joe Biden referring to ‘the importance of maintaining peace and stability across Taiwan Strait’, and this was first such reference in a joint statement between top leaders from the two countries since 1969 when Japan normalized ties with PRC. Suga also went a step ahead calling Taiwan as a ‘country’ in one of the parliamentary debates invoking tensions with China as the latter commented Taiwan to be an ‘inalienable part’ of Mainland China.
Japan wields Taiwan’s defence and security as one of its topmost foreign policy priorities. Earlier this year, Japan’s defence ministry has committed itself to closely cooperate with the like-minded countries in the event of a military standout between China and Taiwan [4]. Japan will not be hesitant to deploy Japanese Self Defence Forces (JSDF) to control an intractable incident surrounding Taiwan and establish stability in the region. China’s PLA now and then conducts daunting air intrusions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) have raised many eyebrows in the international community. The most common types include a single KQ- 200 maritime patrol and Anti- submarine warfare aircraft. The flight paths form a pattern over the same geographic location every time it does a sortie i.e., half way between the major port city of Kaohsiung in mainland Taiwan and the Pratas Island. Taiwan has reported 117 sorties in the month of September and 196 sorties in October alone inclusive of J- 16 jet fighter, H- strategic bombers and Y- 8 submarine spotting aircraft. The rationale behind these adventures is to gather operational intelligence and keeping an eye on an island which China considers to be its own. In the wake of China’s increased aggression, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has promised to double the defense expenditure to 2 percent of GDP [5]. With this additional budget the Ministry of Defence would purchase maritime patrol aircraft, naval mines, jet fighters, aircraft carriers, cyber and other hardware presenting a tough challenge to China in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.
In August this year, virtual discussions held between lawmakers of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) [6]. There exists a public acknowledgment of a nexus between security concerns of Japan and Taiwan. Post normalizations of relations with PRC, Japan was coerced by China to establish only unofficial ties with Taiwan and not set forth anything official. However, the trend is shifting in the year 2021. Public support by Japan for Taiwan’s vulnerabilities is a well thought through regional security calculation. This plan, hence, calls for China’s wrath damaging Japan- China relations. Nonetheless, Japanese government time and again have stated that there is no shift in Japan’s one China policy and has followed a de-hyphenated approach with both China and Taiwan. Taiwan is Japan’s unofficial business and China’s criticism would not stop the talks between them.
Japan has always been hopeful about a reconciliation between China and Taiwan which in turn brings steadiness in the region. Tokyo has kept its foreign policy towards Taipei quite ambiguous and has not projected its own stance but often taking an accommodating tone. In its most recent defense white paper, Japan acknowledged Taiwan as another democratic country and assures that it is paramount for Japan’s tranquility [7]. In the party- to– party talks, both countries have decided discuss their security concerns by channelizing joint coast guard exercises. Japan gradually fading the ambiguity towards Taiwan’s status because the international community at large including strong powers like the Unites States, Australia and other European nations are embracing a new friendship with Taiwan. Instances such as international support for Taiwan’s inclusion in WHO or Lithuania establishing a Taiwan representative office in its capital are encouraging Japan to be more overt with respect to its business with Taiwan. With the change in the geopolitics of Asia, Japan has become the front runner after the United States has reverted back from its initiatives. Now Tokyo is leading the re- booted Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) into a more comprehensive and progressive agreement. Strategists in Japan argue that for a free and open Indo- Pacific national security is entangled with regional security and vice- versa. To make this dream come true, Japan seeks to hand hold other liberal and democratic states and Taiwan fits in this mold perfectly.
The present Japanese government under Kishida Fumio pivoted to a more combative position criticizing Chinese actions. Not only government officials but the shift to being pro- Taiwan is visibly seen in the general population of the country. Public is highly skeptical of China when it comes to independence and safety of Taiwan. They believe Taiwan to be Japan’s ‘trustworthy ally’ in global arena. People are prime witnesses to observe how Japan and Taiwan have always stood by each other in times of great trouble like the Great Hanshin- Awaji earthquake or the Great East Japan earthquake. Japanese politicians took their tussle with China on social media celebrating Taiwan National Day or for that matter posting pictures of them savouring Chinese boycotted Taiwanese pineapples. Even in the fight against the pandemic, Japan has received numerous donations of equipment and supplied such as face masks, pulse oximeters and oxygen concentrators from Taiwan for which the government of Japan expressed its gratitude and reiterated that “Japan and Taiwan have cultivated their friendship by helping each other in times of natural disasters and pandemics”. Japan also helped Taiwan by sending vaccines free of cost as a token of warm friendship and good will which was later condemned by China. Japan in recent times have come more closer to Taiwan than it was ever before.
These time- honored cultural and political ties will polish future defense relations. However, the predictions of Japan- Taiwan relations will depend on the political leadership in both the countries in times to come. Experts of this discipline agree unanimously that relations will remain friendly but the discourse may shift with change in power politics. For now, Japan and Taiwan are friends of convenience which means till the date there are tensions in East China Sea, Taiwan will be included in the security considerations of Japan. Also, because both countries are adherents of peace, rule of law, freedom and democracy and human rights.
References:
[1] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/18/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-taiwan-exchange-summit/
[2] https://www.mfa.gov.cn/ce/ceie//eng/ztlt/TaiwanIssue/Background/t113022.htm
[3] https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/trend-lines/30038/thanks-to-china-japan-taiwan-relations-are-set-to-deepen
[4] https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/new-high-japan-security-ties-taiwan/
[5] https://www.lawfareblog.com/water-wars-japan-makes-major-defense-spending-pledges-while-china-increases-incursions-south-china
[6] https://thediplomat.com/2021/09/parsing-japans-support-for-taiwan/
[7] https://warontherocks.com/2021/11/japans-revolution-on-taiwan-affairs/
Pic Courtsey-Rovin Ferrer at unsplash.com
(The views expressed are those fo the author and do nto represent views of CESCUBE.)
