August 10, 2023

Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Aso Tato on August 8 in Taiwan expressed his sense of crisis over the security environment surrounding Japan and Taiwan with an eye on China's growing military pressure. Aso said that to show a "readiness to fight" is necessary to deter a possible emergency situation in the Taiwan Strait.

Regarding these remarks, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on August 9 wrote a social media post as follows:

Aso mentions the "use of defense capabilities for Taiwan", but what if hostilities erupt? It may bring in the war to Japan.

Aso claims that to show the "resolve to fight" will be a "deterrence". However, to pose a military threat with "deterrence" may encourage an enemy country to move ahead with an arms buildup, and both sides will fall in a vicious cycle. He does not seem to understand that to convey the "will to fight" itself will enhance the risk of war.

Such provocative remarks only do harm, not good.

The Taiwan issue should be resolved peacefully. Our party is firmly opposed to China's use of force as well as to Japan-U.S. military engagement or intervention over this issue.

In order to make a positive breakthrough in the stagnant Japan-China relationship, as our party specifically proposes, a diplomatic strategy in compliance with a bilateral agreement to "not pose a threat to each other" is necessary.