Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urges Chinese President Xi Jinping not to step onto the wrong path amid the ongoing tensions between China and Taiwan.
According to reports, Abe attended a forum organized by the Taiwanese group Institute for National Policy Research virtually. During his speech, Abe pointed out that several of the islands in Japan are a mere 100 kilometers away from Taiwan.
So, if China threatens Taiwan in any way, Japan will also be affected. More specifically, their Senaku Islands, Sakishima Islands, and Yonaguni Islands would be in danger.
"A Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency, and therefore an emergency for the Japan-U.S. alliance. People in Beijing, President Xi Jinping in particular, should never have a misunderstanding in recognizing this," Abe said via CNN.
Japan wants to continue its working relationship with China
Abe also stressed that Japan doesn't have any plans to cut ties with China. But the country and Taiwan believe in democracy, and they hope Jinping and other Communist Party leaders would follow suit.
The former Japanese prime minister added that it is in the country's best interest to have a strong and thriving Taiwan that guarantees freedom and human rights.
According to Japan Times, Japanese lawmakers have been speaking out about the importance of Taiwan to the country's security following Beijing's clampdown in Hong Kong.
Related Article: Russian President Vladimir Putin Weighs In On Tensions Between China, Taiwan, Says President Xi Jinping Doesn't Need To Use Force
Japanese PM continues to promote pro-Taiwan policy
Incumbent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also said that the Taiwan Strait could be the next major problem to face Tokyo, that's why they need to cooperate with Taiwan.
Last month, reports also revealed that Kishida will continue Japan's pro-Taiwan policy after being elected as prime minister during the general elections.
Kuo Yu-jen, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University's Institute of China and the Asia-Pacific, said that Kishida and the Liberal Democratic party's (LDP) win was a good sign for Taiwan. After all, it signified that Kishida would likely maintain Japan's defense and foreign policy in the country, according to Focus Taiwan.
Taiwanese president worried about her country
In October, Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen said that China is still threatening Taiwan every day. She also said that Taiwan was a beacon of democracy that needed to be defended to uphold faith worldwide in democratic values.
According to the BBC, the tensions between the two countries are at their worst in 40 years. Chiu Kuo-cheng's comments came after China reportedly sent a record number of military jets into Taiwan's air defense zone for four consecutive days.
At the time, Kuo-cheng that there was a risk of a possible misfire even though the jets were not flown all the way to the island.
The source also warned Taiwan over the possibility of China launching a full-scale invasion on the island by 2025.
Other than Japan, the United States is also caught in the ongoing tensions between China and Taiwan.
But Jinping previously said that he is willing to set his differences aside so that he could work with the United States and Joe Biden.
