Japan Appoints New Defense Personnel in Response to Increased Chinese Military Maneuvers

Japanese government attitudes are changing as a result of China's expanding military maneuvers in the vicinity of Taiwan and Japan.

Last week, Japan appointed two key defense personnel, as reported by VOA. Analysts believe that the actions demonstrate Tokyo's increasing importance of the status on the other side of the Taiwan Strait.

Several media outlets reported last week that Japan had changed its previous policy of appointing retired Japan Self-Defense-Force officers to the role at the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, the organization that represents Japanese interests in Taipei and appointed a serving defense ministry official as its de facto defense attaché in Taiwan.

Increasing Security Across the Taiwan Strait

According to experts, this development demonstrates Tokyo's determination to elevate conversations about the security situation across the Taiwan Strait. By selecting the ideal candidate to serve as the de facto defense attaché, they expect to accomplish their objective.

(Photo: by KAZUHIRO NOGI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (front C) and his new cabinet pose for a photo at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on September 13, 2023. Kishida named new foreign and defense ministers on September 13 in a major reshuffle that raised the number of women in the cabinet to five.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also named Minoru Kihara, a politician with a history of fostering closer connections between Tokyo and Taipei, as Japan's next defense minister in addition to the new appointment of the de facto defense attaché in Taiwan. The Japanese government announced a cabinet shift on September 13 that includes Kihara's appointment.

As part of a parliamentary delegation from Japan, Kihara visited Taiwan in August of last year while serving as the secretary general of the Japan-Taiwan inter-parliamentary group. According to Patalano from King's College, Tokyo made the choice because it wanted someone who could comprehend what role Japan may or might not play in the face of escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing declared its adamant opposition to any nation conducting official contacts with Taiwan while maintaining diplomatic relations with China in response to the defense personnel appointments made public by Japan.

The hiring of Japanese defense personnel coincides with a recent uptick in Chinese military activity near Taiwan and Japan.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has recorded 103 Chinese military planes and nine Chinese naval vessels passing by the island since Sunday. Taiwan's Defense Ministry issued a statement urging Beijing to take responsibility and promptly cease such harmful military exercises.

China conducted extensive military drills last week in the Western Pacific, sending out dozens of ships, planes, and its aircraft carrier Shandong.

Four Chinese government ships reportedly entered Japanese territorial waters near the disputed islands, known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Mandarin, on September 15, according to the Japanese coast guard. According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, the raid is the 23rd Chinese incursion of 2023 and the first since August 23.

According to analysts, Tokyo's efforts to improve its defense capabilities over the past year have been justified by the continuous Chinese military aggression in the region, including China's joint patrols with Russia around Japan and the high number of Chinese incursions around the disputed Senkaku Islands or Diaoyu Islands.