Zeitenwende in der Japanischen Sicherheitspolitik: Die Bedeutung Taiwans im Kontext Japanischer Sicherheitsinteressen

For Japan, Taiwan’s importance as an ally and partner with shared values in its neighborhood as well as in the region is increasing considerably. Regional stability and resistance to unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait are shared interests, which also require Japan to become more committed to security policy. This occurs in spite of historical and cultural resistance, with explicit and implicit references to the implications of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine for the Western Pacific.
In January 2024, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa congratulated the elected Taiwanese President William Lai on his election victory more clearly and courageously than many Western countries – seemingly unimpressed by the protests that were certain to ensue from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It can also be as- sumed that Taiwan will continue its Japan-friendly course and will seek support from the broader Japanese society and economy – despite Japan’s occasional attempts to im- prove its relationship with the PRC.
This article starts with an overview of regional dynamics and how Taiwan directly impacts the security interests of the PRC and Japan. The main analysis focuses on contemporary Japanese security policy, which takes into account a shifting threat per- ception in Tokyo since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, tracks Japan’s increasing defense spending and possible arms supplies to Taiwan, and investigates Japan’s policy debate over the role of the Japanese Self Defense Forces in a Taiwan con- tingency. It concludes with an appreciation of regional and global security-political processes, including the war in Ukraine and U. S. politics, and formulates the assess- ment that Japan will likely continue its policy of supporting Taiwan.