In November 2021, he forcefully argued, “A Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency, and therefore an emergency for the Japan-U.S. In 2019, for instance, Japan became a cosponsor of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), an initiative that Taiwan and the United States established in 2015 to host workshops that allow Taiwan to showcase its expertise in fields like public health, disaster relief, women’s empowerment, and good governance.Īfter he stepped down, Abe continued to use his influence within the Liberal Democratic Party to drive the policy debate on Taiwan. This, too, helped usher in a new era of closer bilateral ties.
Following 17 years of negotiations, in 2013 Japan and Taiwan concluded a landmark agreement that addressed fishing rights in the East China Sea (Taiwan formally shares the same territorial claims as China in the East China Sea, which means it maintains a claim to the Senkaku Islands). While a seemingly small step, this helped reframe the conversation about Taiwan in Tokyo.īeyond statements, under Abe’s leadership Japan and Taiwan addressed one of the most significant irritants in their bilateral relationship. In 2015, Abe started referring to Taiwan as an “important partner” and “precious friend,” a formulation that the government subsequently adopted. He began by publicly emphasizing shared values between Japan and Taiwan. Recognizing the threat that an increasingly assertive China posed to Taiwan, however, Abe sought to reorient Japanese policy toward the island.
Prior to Abe’s tenure as prime minister, Japanese officials were deeply uncomfortable talking about a potential Chinese use of force against Taiwan, the implications of such a move for Japanese security, and how Japan should respond to such a scenario. For all of his accomplishments, Abe’s most significant legacy could prove to be profoundly adjusting Japanese policy toward Taiwan. Shinzo Abe left an indelible mark on Japanese foreign policy, steering the country from one that was largely reactive to events in the Indo-Pacific to one that actively shapes its regional environment.
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