On November 7, 2025, one year has passed since Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae made a speech in support of Taiwan in the Diet.
Yesterday was November 7th.
A year ago (2025), Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae stated in the Diet that if China launches a military attack or naval blockade against Taiwan, it may constitute an "existential crisis situation" for Japan, and Japan can exercise the right of collective self-defense under qualified conditions.
This sentence caused a strong backlash from China. Beijing used diplomatic and economic pressure to withdraw the statement. However, a year has passed and Prime Minister Gao Shi has not backed down.
I think her speech brought about at least three important changes.
First, it changed Taiwan-Japan relations. From friendly neighbors to a "security community."
In the past few decades, Taiwan-Japan relations have been mainly based on economic, cultural, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides have a deep friendship, but have always remained vague about security issues.
After former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left office, he once said, "If something happens to Taiwan, it means something will happen to Japan." Takaichi went a step further and spoke in Congress as the current prime minister, linking Taiwan's security with Japan's right to collective self-defense.
This does not mean that Japan promises to send troops to defend Taiwan, but it allows Taiwan-Japan relations to move from emotional friendship to a new stage of common security interests.
Second, it changed Japan’s national positioning. From cautious concessions after the war to proactively assuming international responsibilities.
After the end of World War II, Japan was bound by its history of defeat and its pacifist constitution. It has long adopted a cautious and restrained attitude on international security issues, which has even been criticized as appeasement. Especially when facing China, Japan often worries about economic interests and is unwilling to take a clear stance on sensitive issues.
Prime Minister Gao Shi's speech symbolizes that this kind of thinking is changing.
Japan no longer just wants to avoid getting involved in conflicts, but has also begun to face up to its responsibility in maintaining regional peace. In the eyes of the international community, Japan is changing from an economic power to a country that is more actively involved in security affairs.
Third, it has changed the strategic landscape of Asia. The Taiwan issue is no longer just a cross-strait issue.
Beijing has long maintained that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair and that foreign countries are not allowed to intervene. But Takaichi pointed out a reality: If a war broke out in Taiwan and directly threatened Japan's survival and security, how could Japan stay out of it?
This has made Taiwan Strait security more closely linked to the Japan-US alliance and the Indo-Pacific strategy. It also requires China to face up to Japan's possible actions when considering the use of force against Taiwan.
In the past, Japan was worried about offending China over the Taiwan issue. Now, Japan is beginning to think: If it dares not face up to Taiwan's security because it is afraid of offending China, will it be Japan itself that is ultimately threatened?
Prime Minister Takaichi's speech is not only a statement on Taiwan, but also a symbol of Japan's repositioning of its role in Asia and the world.
