Whither Japan and Taiwan Defense Ties

A symposium yesterday called for Japan to move US ground troops based there to Taiwan. Yes, and we can use our wing of flying pigs to protect them....

Japan should suggest that the United States government relocate Japan-based U.S. troops to Taiwan to help ensure regional security, scholars urged yesterday at an international symposium held in Taipei to discuss the transformation of the U.S. military and the framework of Asian security.

In his welcoming remarks, former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) said that the world has entered a second era of cold war among the U.S., China, and Russia. In light of China's growing military and economic strength, Taiwan should be well equipped with arms to cope with any possible surprise attacks launched by China, he said.

The forum, attended by scholars from Taiwan and Japan was co-hosted by the Taiwan National Security Institute and Japan's Asian Security Forum.

The Taiwan National Security Institute is described at WUFI's website (I can't find any website for it in English):

台灣安保協會是以促進台灣、日本民間之安全保障對話，增進兩國學術交流暨亞太和平為宗旨。　

Its stated purpose is to promote dialogue on Taiwan and Japan security barriers, etc. Unfortunately this doesn't sound so much like dialogue as collective fantasy. What's interesting is that it is just another signal in a long train that Japan and Taiwan are going to draw closer on security matters. WUFI itself is militantly Taiwan nationalist -- the KMT used to circulate rumors that they had terrorist training camps in South America.

[Taiwan] [US] [China] [Japan]