Takaichi: "Will Not Retract Remarks on Exercising Collective Self-Defense in Taiwan Contingency"

"The Remarks Were Made Assuming the Worst-Case Scenario"

On November 10, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that she would not retract her previous remarks that a contingency in Taiwan could constitute a "situation threatening Japan's survival," which would allow for the exercise of collective self-defense.

Prime Minister Takaichi made this statement in response to questions from Hiroshi Ogushi, a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party, the main opposition party, during the House of Representatives Budget Committee on the same day.

Prime Minister Takaichi said, "This is in line with the government's previous position, and I have no particular intention to retract or cancel it." She added, "However, in the spirit of future reflection, I would like to exercise caution in clearly stating specific hypothetical cases of a situation threatening Japan's survival here."

She emphasized that her previous remarks were made only under the assumption of the worst-case scenario.

She went on to explain, "Japan's consistent position is that we hope the Taiwan issue will be resolved peacefully through dialogue."

When Ogushi asked whether her remarks represented a government consensus, noting that this was a judgment related to whether or not to enter a war, Prime Minister Takaichi replied, "I do not intend to present this as the unified view of the government."

Previously, on November 7, Prime Minister Takaichi stated in the House of Representatives that, regarding a contingency in Taiwan, "If (China) were to use warships and resort to the use of force, I believe it could constitute a situation threatening Japan's survival."

However, Prime Minister Takaichi added, "The government will make a comprehensive judgment based on all available information, depending on the individual and specific circumstances of any actual incident."

A situation threatening Japan's survival refers to a scenario in which Japan itself is not directly attacked, but a country or region with close ties to Japan is attacked, thereby putting Japan at risk. If such a situation is determined, Japan may exercise its right to collective self-defense.

According to the Asahi Shimbun, Prime Minister Takaichi stated that, regarding the funding needed to bring forward the timing of increasing defense spending (defense budget) to 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) from fiscal year 2027 (April 2027-March 2028) to fiscal year 2025, she would "secure the necessary resources appropriately."

She also expressed her intention not to pursue tax increases to raise defense spending, saying, "I intend to devise measures to increase tax revenue without raising tax rates."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.