TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A leading Taiwan security expert has said U.S. military deployment in Okinawa is critically important for the survival of Taiwan, as the governor of the Japanese prefecture seeks closer ties with China and rejects assertions that Japan and Taiwan’s security is inextricably linked.
In a Newtalk article published Monday (July 3), Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki rejected comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in January, in which he said Japanese security concerns are “inseparable” from those of Taiwan. He said military buildup is likely to exacerbate regional tensions, and increase the chances of conflict in the prefecture.
Approximately 70% of all U.S. military bases in Japan are in Okinawa, and residents and local leaders (including Tamaki) have long complained about the sexual violence, assaults, pollution, and land use that accompanies them. Memories of the devastation wrought on Okinawa during World War II add to local residents' sense of wariness about the military installments.
Meanwhile, Tamaki has embarked on a five-day trip to China, seeking to strengthen economic and cultural ties between Japan and the East Asian giant, which will include a visit to the Taiwan-adjacent Fujian Province. The Chinese government has increasingly highlighted the shared cultural history between Okinawa and Fujian province, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) referenced the islands in June.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki. (AP photo)
Assistant professor of Political Science at Soochow University Fang-yu Chen (陳方隅) told Taiwan News that he can understand Tamaki’s opposition, but does not think he will influence Japanese security policy at a national level. “Japanese politics is always elite centered with a top-down approach, so I don’t think local government will have an influence on the overall defense strategy,” he said.
Chen said that since former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s time in office, the country has become a leading influence in the Indo-Pacific, and that is unlikely change now. “Especially when China is challenging the U.S. and also influencing regional stability, Japan will not change its approach in the Indo-Pacific region.”
When asked about Tamaki’s rejection of common Taiwan-Japanese security interests, Chen said it was obvious that if China attacked Taiwan, Japan would become involved.
Speaking to Taiwan News in May, Director of the Taiwan Center for Security Studies Fu-kuo Liu (劉復國) also said that Japan and Taiwan share critical interests.
Liu said Japan, like Taiwan, is almost completely reliant on imports for its energy needs. “So, of course, the Japanese government does not want to see a scenario in which Taiwan is a part of China, which will directly threaten their survival line, the sea routes passing through the Taiwan Strait and the eastern side of Taiwan,” Liu said.
When asked what the impact on regional security would be if the U.S. forces on Okinawa were removed, Liu said: “If a Taiwan (conflict) really happens, I do think that Taiwan needs more support from allies and countries nearby, which I refer to as the U.S. and Japan, basically.”
“So directly addressing your question, this military deployment in Okinawa is critically important for the survival of Taiwan,” Liu said.
See Taiwan News' conversation with Ginowan City municipal councilor Ryo Matayoshi in Okinawa, where U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is located.
