Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan's strategic alliance with the United States would collapse if Tokyo ignored a potential conflict over Taiwan, Reuters reported. However, she distanced herself from previous statements in which she hinted at a possible military response in the event of such a development, BTA reported.
Takaichi expressed these views last night on a television program in which an opposition party leader criticized her for inflaming tensions with China with her previous comments.
Japan-China relations hit lowest point in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan would trigger a military response from Japan. Beijing responded to the statements with export restrictions, flight cancellations and demands that the prime minister retract her comments.
China considers the self-ruled island of Taiwan its breakaway province and reserves the right to reclaim it by force if necessary.
"I want to be very clear that there is no question of Japan taking military measures if China and the United States come into conflict (over Taiwan)", Takaichi said in a live television broadcast, referring to her comments in November in parliament.
"If something serious happens there, we will have to rescue Japanese and American citizens in Taiwan. In such a situation, we may have to take joint action," the Japanese prime minister added.
"If the US military, acting in conjunction with us, comes under attack and Japan does nothing and simply does not react, the Japan-US alliance will collapse. "Therefore, we will act strictly in accordance with the law, within the framework of the laws that currently exist, by conducting a comprehensive assessment of what is happening on the ground," Takaichi said, without giving further details.
Japan's pacifist constitution prohibits direct military action but allows the country to resort to collective self-defense, in other words, to defend the United States or another friendly country that comes under attack, in the event that a threat to Japan's very existence arises.