Japan must not permit any political faction to steer the nation back towards the path of war

Summary:

Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan represent a serious deviation from the cautious position long upheld by the Japanese government, run counter to international law and basic norms governing international relations, and gravely undermine regional stability.

Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi openly claimed that a so-called "Taiwan contingency" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, under which Japan may invoke the so-called right to collective self-defense to interfere militarily in the Taiwan Strait. This reckless fallacy is extremely rare in Japan's postwar history and is utterly unacceptable.

The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair. The 1972 China-Japan Joint Statement explicitly affirms that the Japanese government recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China; that the Japanese government fully understands and respects the position of the Chinese government that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China; and that Japan firmly maintains its position under Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation, which reiterates that the "terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out."

The Cairo Declaration stated in explicit terms that all the territories Japan had stolen from China, such as Northeast China, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be restored to China. Furthermore, following the normalization of Japan-China diplomatic relations, the Japanese government also made clear internal statements on the Taiwan question. By clarifying Taiwan's status and reaffirming that the Taiwan question falls within China's internal affairs, the China-Japan Joint Statement carries significant weight.

In sum, the Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affair and brooks no interference from any country in any form. Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan represent a serious deviation from the cautious position long upheld by the Japanese government, run counter to international law and basic norms governing international relations, and gravely undermine regional stability.

Japan has not been attacked by China; should Japan take the lead in using force against China, China would certainly respond. Once military conflict erupts between the two sides, the consequences would undoubtedly be catastrophic.

Making rash statements that could drag the country into war is incompatible with the sense of responsibility expected of a Japanese prime minister. Takaichi should retract her remarks.

Japan's history includes a period defined by grave policy errors that led the nation down a path of war. Through acts of aggression and colonial rule, Japan inflicted immense suffering upon the peoples of numerous Asian countries. The lessons drawn from this period warrant Japan's profound and ongoing reflection.

Recent remarks by Takaichi, advocating for the pre-emptive use of military force, point Japan towards a dangerous direction reminiscent of that past. It is therefore understandable that voices within Japan itself are urging restraint against any rush towards conflict.

Japan must not permit any political faction to steer the nation back towards the path of war. The imperative remains for Japan to steadfastly pursue its path of peaceful development. For the Japanese public today, ensuring the nation's unwavering commitment to this peaceful course represents its most crucial responsibility and mission.

(Takakage Fujita is the secretary-general of the Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement.)