Japanese Defense Ministry White Paper says Taiwan critical to Japan's larger security needs

Japan has published a white paper that identifies Taiwan as critical to the defense of Japan.

Regardless of whether China has a peaceful or non-peaceful rise, the PRC's rising military clout will pose an ever-rising threat to the positions of the United States and Japan in the western Pacific region.

Unless Washington or Tokyo is keen to see Taiwan become part of the PRC, they must establish a long-term and capability-oriented strategic planning and cooperation model together with Taiwan.

To allow Taiwan to face the pressure of the steadily expanding power of the PRC's military alone will absolutely lead to the disappearance of the "Taiwan Strait problem" and leave Beijing in the driver's seat for strategic domination in the western Pacific.

The findings of Japan's new defense white paper reinforce the conclusion that only the improvement of the imbalance in military power in the Taiwan Strait and the effective linkage and coordination of strategic and diplomatic policies among Washington, Tokyo and Taipei will be able to maintain lasting regional peace.

Technorati: [Taiwan]