Concerns over the strengthening connections between China and Russia have been expressed in Tokyo’s yearly defense white paper
According to Japan’s latest military white paper, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine as well as the unrest in Taiwan pose a growing number of threats to both global and local security. According to the dossier, Tokyo is also worried about how Moscow and Beijing are interacting.
The white paper, which was released on Friday, states that “Russia has made moves to strengthen cooperation with China, including through joint bomber flights and joint warship sails involving the Russian and Chinese militaries, as well as moves to portray such military cooperation as’strategic coordination'”.
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Tokyo expressed concern that the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine would convey the idea that using force to change the status quo unilaterally is permissible. The newspaper also made a connection between the continuing fighting and the unrest in Taiwan, adding that since Russia invaded Ukraine, Taiwan has been stepping up its defenses.
Beijing, which sees the island country as an important part of itself, was explicitly charged in the letter of attempting to “alter the status quo by coercion in the East China Sea and South China Sea.”
Chinese and Russian ships and planes have been conducting combined navigations and flights in the regions bordering Japan in recent years, strengthening the country’s ties with Russia. Tokyo declared that China had made it plain that it will not hesitate to use force to reunite Taiwan, heightening regional tensions.
China has sharply attacked Japan’s position, accusing Tokyo of leveling unfounded “accusations” and “smearing” Beijing’s defense-related policies. According to Wang Wenbin, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, “Japan’s new military white paper makes charges and smears China’s defense strategy, market economic growth, and legal maritime operations.”
The official said that the white paper “exaggerates the so-called China danger” and meddles in China’s domestic affairs regarding Taiwan.
China has warned against cozying up to Taiwan on several occasions, saying that doing so would be interfering with its internal affairs. Since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, when the defeated nationalists retreated there, the island has effectively operated independently.
When the Financial Times revealed that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was scheduled to visit Taiwan next month, tensions on the island rose sharply earlier this week.
Pelosi would be the oldest US member to step foot on Taiwanese territory in decades, despite the fact that Washington still maintains tight connections with the island nation and that the meetings are still unofficial. The anticipated visit prompted an angry reaction from Beijing, which vowed to take “resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity” should the US continue “going down the wrong path.”
