China, Japan and Taiwan
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The Japanese public is divided over exercising collective self-defense against a Chinese attack on Taiwan. A recent poll shows mixed opinions, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aims to boost defense spending.
BEIJING—Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi continued to be buffeted by verbal attacks by the administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping a week after suggesting that Japan would provide support for Taiwan in the event of a Chinese naval blockade.
The Japanese prime minister’s comments about military intervention were unusually direct for such a sensitive topic.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told lawmakers a conflict over Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan.