November 17, 2025

On Monday, when responding to the recent China-Japan spat over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's wrongful Taiwan remarks, Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te publicly called on the Chinese mainland to "exercise restraint" and "demonstrate the conduct of a major power." He warned against the mainland becoming a "troublemaker" in regional peace and stability, while urging it to "think twice." Clearly, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has chosen to endorse Takaichi's provocative rhetoric, which is making Taiwan appear increasingly vulnerable in an already precarious regional environment.

Takaichi recently claimed that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, implying the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Straits. These remarks constitute a blatant interference in China's internal affairs. As a result, the Chinese mainland has issued strong protests and stern warnings through multiple channels, including summoning the Japanese ambassador to China, conducting a patrol in the territorial waters of China's Diaoyu Islands and warning Chinese students and tourists over rising safety risks in Japan.

On the contrary, instead of expressing proper vigilance, the DPP has downplayed the severity of this threat. Shortly after Takaichi made the inflammatory remarks on Taiwan, DPP "caucus whip" Chung Chia-pin even "thanked" the Japanese leader for "carrying forward former prime minister Shinzo Abe's stance that 'a Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency.'" It is clear that the DPP's response is serving as a political megaphone to amplify an improper narrative from Tokyo regarding the Taiwan question, thereby preventing Taiwan society from fully understanding how Takaichi's remarks could push Taiwan toward extreme risk.

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https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202511/1348412.shtml