Japan and US are currently holding their annual military exercise (Photo: Orient Shield Facebook)
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The Japanese leadership says in case China invades Taiwan, the US and Japan would have to come together to defend the island nation.</p>
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<a href="https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4241254">According to a report in <em>Taiwan News</em></a>, Japan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister Aso Taro said: &ldquo;If a major incident happened, it would not be strange at all if it touches on a situation threatening survival. If that is the case, Japan and the US must defend Taiwan together.&rdquo; Taro was delivering a speech in Tokyo and highlighting the threat that China posed to the region.</p>
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<strong>Regional conflict</strong></p>
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At the famous Tiananmen Square last week, on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of the Communist party of China (CPC), President <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Full-text-of-Xi-Jinping-s-speech-on-the-CCP-s-100th-anniversary">Xi Jinping had resolutely said</a>: &quot;Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China&#39;s complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the Communist Party of China. It is also a shared aspiration of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation&quot;.&nbsp;<br />
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China&#39;s demeanour regarding Taiwan and the consistent flow of threats has raised hackles in Tokyo. Earlier, Japanese Defence Minister Kishi Nobuo commented that Taiwan&rsquo;s security is directly linked to that of Japan. He told <em>Bloomberg </em>in an interview: &quot;The peace and stability of Taiwan are directly connected to Japan, and we are closely monitoring ties between China and Taiwan as well as Chinese military activity.&rdquo;<br />
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Last month, Nobuo had appealed to the European countries to increase their military presence in the contested region. While addressing the European Parliament sub-committee on security and defence, Nobuo had said that the EU should increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific to balance China. Japanese leaders feel that increased China-Taiwan tensions have become a threat to Japan.</p>
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<strong>Rise in China-Taiwan tensions</strong></p>
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Recently, a Beijing-based magazine outlined in detail how China will launch <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/china-magazine-publishes-article-detailing-three-stage-attack-on-taiwan-99801.html">a three-stage assault on Taiwan</a>, followed by a ground assault. The communist giant considers Taiwan to be an inalienable Chinese province, which has to be merged with China even if forcibly.</p>
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Dr Jagannath Panda, Research Fellow and Coordinator of the East-Asia Centre at the MP-IDSA, told <em>India Narrative </em>that the &quot;Occupation of Taiwan is becoming a prestige issue for the Chinese Communist Party. Building pressure on Taiwan and making it realise that its future is with mainland China is a deliberate Chinese strategy&quot;.<br />
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China raised temperatures last month by sending <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/after-massive-airspace-intrusion-china-threatens-taiwan-and-the-democratic-world-95938.html">a record 28 military aircraft</a> into the Taiwanese aid defence identification zone (ADIZ). This was in response to a critical G7 communique that had asked Beijing to find a peaceful resolution to the Taiwan issue.<br />
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<strong>Japan-US military exercise</strong></p>
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Japan is currently holding its annual military exercise with the US to &ldquo;enhance interoperability and test and refine multi-domain and cross-domain operations&rdquo;. Nobu tweeted that nearly 3,000 Japanese soldiers will participate in the exercise along with troops from the US.<br />
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As China throws its weight around in the seas on its eastern front, an increasingly uneasy Japan seeks alliances to balance a belligerent Beijing. In April, Tokyo and Washington had issued a statement encouraging peaceful resolution of Taiwan Strait tensions.</p>
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<strong>Read More: <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/china-s-sand-sucking-dredgers-target-taiwan-with-eco-warfare-97268.html">China&rsquo;s sand-sucking dredgers target Taiwan with eco-warfare</a></strong></p>
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