Shinzo Abe says Chinese invasion of Taiwan could pose severe threat to Japan-US alliance

On Wednesday, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would pose a severe threat to Japan's security and Japan-United States alliance, and urged China to think twice before initiating any military action. Delivering an online speech on Taiwan-Japan relations, Abe stated that an armed invasion of Taiwan would surely pose a major threat to Japan, given its proximity to Taiwan. "A Taiwanese emergency will be a crisis for Japan and Japan-US alliance and this clear stance should not be misunderstood by Chinese President Xi Jinping," Abe was quoted as saying by Central News Agency (CNA). He was speaking at Institute for National Policy Research in Taipei.

Abe urged democratic world to unite in order to prevent a Chinese invasion by persuing Jinping and Chinese Communist Party against choosing wrong path. He said that a military operation against Taiwan would be "economic suicide" for China despite fact that it is one of world's most powerful economies. Besides, it would also have a substantial impact on global economy due to China's tight economic and tring relations with rest of world, he ded. 

Abe calls for maintaining cross-Taiwan Strait peace

Abe also emphasized that maintaining cross-Taiwan Strait peace is in best interests of all parties involved. Recent military exercises conducted by Beijing in South China Sea, as well as repeated sorties of military aircraft in Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (IZ), have fueled fears of a possible Chinese invasion. However, some analysts believe that sorties are meant to send a political message to US and or countries, including Taiwan, to not take measures that symbolically express support for a sovereign Taiwan. Meanwhile, former Japanese prime minister also expressed his support for Taiwan's attempt to join Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a Tokyo-led international tre bloc. 

It is worth mentioning here that on Monday, November 29, Taiwan's Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng remarked that recent events in Taiwan Strait have aggravated cross-strait situation. Speaking to reporters before a Parliamentary meeting, he h stated that China's frequent IZ invasions have me cross-strait situation extremely tense in recent days. He furr claimed that China's continued incursions are nothing more than a strategy to progressively deplete Taiwan's military's energy, reported Taiwan News citing CNA. 

Image: AP