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China-Japan relations
ChinaMilitary

Will China ramp up military activity near Japan over Takaichi’s comments?

PLA activities near the disputed Diaoyus possible if tensions over Japanese leader’s Taiwan remarks escalate, analysts say

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The Diaoyu Islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan, have long been a source of tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Photo: Kyodo
Amber Wangin Beijing
Beijing could step up military and coastguard activities near Japan if tensions escalate further following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s provocative remarks on Taiwan, according to analysts.
“It cannot be ruled out that there will be new military activities near the Diaoyu Islands,” a government adviser said, referring to the disputed group of islands known as the Senkakus in Japan. The islands, located in the East China Sea, have long been a source of tension between the two countries.

Over the past decade, China’s coastguard has conducted regular patrols in the waters near the islands, which are under Japan’s control. But naval activities in the area – rare in the past – are now possible, depending on Japan’s next steps in addressing the worsening ties, according to the government adviser, who requested anonymity.

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Beijing and Tokyo are embroiled in a diplomatic row over comments by Takaichi about Taiwan that have prompted a series of retaliatory measures from Beijing, ranging from diplomatic protests to warnings about travel and study in Japan.

Takaichi told a parliamentary committee on November 7 that a military attack by Beijing against Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, a situation that could allow Tokyo to engage in military action alongside Washington. She has refused to retract the remarks.

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Her comments have been viewed as the most explicit by a sitting Japanese prime minister on how Tokyo might respond to a Taiwan contingency, marking a departure from the country’s long-held strategic ambiguity over the issue – a position the United States has also maintained.
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