Japan sees Taiwan as the next target of Chinese aggression after Hong Kong and wants President-elect Joe Biden to continue with President Donald Trump’s hard line policy against Beijing as the dragon poses a grave danger to democracy.

“We are concerned China will expand its aggressive stance into areas other than Hong Kong. I think one of the next targets, or what everyone is worried about, is Taiwan,” Japan’s deputy defence minister Yasuhide Nakayama told new agency Reuters in an interview.

“So far, I haven’t yet seen a clear policy or an announcement on Taiwan from Joe Biden. I would like to hear it quickly, then we can also prepare our response on Taiwan in accordance,” Nakayama said. He called the island’s safety a “red line.” During his election campaign, Biden did come out in favour of strengthening ties with Taiwan and other democratic countries.

President Donald Trump had increased sales of military hardware to Taiwan in the face of increasing threats from mainland China which claims that the island nation is a part of its territory. Japan follows a “one China” policy as part of its strategy to balance its relationship with neighbouring giant China and its long time military ally Washington.

But its engagement with Taiwan has also been growing what is seen as an essentially non-government basis. Japan shares strategic interests with Taiwan as it is situated in sea lanes through which Japan’s energy supplies and trade flow.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Friday that Taiwan is China’s internal affair. “We firmly oppose interference in China’s internal affairs by any country or anyone by any means,” he remarked. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said , “We look forward to working closely with the Biden team, to continue to steadily improve Taiwan-U.S. relations on the basis of the existing solid friendship.”