TOKYO: Last Saturday, Washington urged Tokyo to strengthen its ability to resist a possible occupation of Taiwan. The call, based on the U.S. National Security Strategy report, asked allies in the region to “spend more on their own defense, and most importantly, to invest in capabilities aimed at deterring aggression” — specifically to ensure that any attempt to seize Taiwan could be stopped.
Experts say the request is extraordinary, marking a rare moment of direct strategic urgency.
In just ten days, a series of moves by Japan and the United States has sent a powerful signal: peace in the Taiwan Strait is no longer a distant regional concern — it has become a shared priority for the U.S., Japan, and the wider world.
On Nov 25, the Japanese Cabinet clarified that while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks about a Taiwan contingency didn’t represent a formal change in foreign policy, an attack on Taiwan could still pose an existential threat to Japan. Such a scenario could trigger Japan’s forces to act under “collective self-defence,” as allowed by the country’s 2015 defence legislation. Analysts note that this is the most consequential statement from Tokyo on Taiwan since World War II, signalling a new recognition: the Taiwan Strait is central to Japan’s national security.
Across the Pacific, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requiring the State Department to review and update guidelines for official interactions with Taipei. For decades, direct engagement with Taiwan has been a sensitive “red line,” dating back to 1979 when formal relations were severed. Alongside this, the National Security Strategy report highlighted that deterring conflict over Taiwan is a U.S. priority.
Observers describe these moves as a kind of strategic relay between Tokyo and Washington — each step reinforcing the other — and they matter in three important ways.
First, the U.S. is giving Japan real backing. Beyond words, Washington is laying a legal and policy foundation that turns joint support for Taiwan from rhetoric into reality.
Second, the combination of Japan’s heightened security posture, U.S. engagement with Taiwan, and strengthened defences along the first island chain sends a clear signal to China: any attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait now carries serious consequences. Diplomatic statements are evolving into a tangible security framework.
Third, this collaboration reinforces public confidence in Taiwan. Regardless of Beijing’s political weight and military pressure, Taiwan now views itself as a slice of a bigger security grid. The support from Tokyo and Washington offers a sense of solidity that the island has not felt in recent years.
Unluckily, Beijing’s efforts to insulate Taiwan have had a contradictory consequence. In its place, they have fast-tracked U.S.-Japan-Taiwan collaboration. Specialists say this is an unswerving response to mounting authoritarian imperialism, shaping Taiwan as the front of democracy.
The message from Tokyo and Washington is now unmistakable — peace in the Taiwan Strait is not just a regional concern — it is a shared commitment of the free democratic world.
