'Taiwan contingency' could prompt Japanese armed reaction: Japan PM

Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Friday that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws.

Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session on Friday while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan's Asahi Shimbun.

"If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival-threatening situation," Takaichi was quoted as saying in the report.

Under Japan's security legislation, such a situation allows the country to exercise "collective self-defense" if an attack on an ally -- such as the United States -- or a country closely related to Japan is deemed to threaten Japan's survival, even without a direct attack on Japan.

"The situation regarding Taiwan has become serious. We must assume the worst-case scenario," Takaichi was quoted by Kyodo News as saying during Friday's parliamentary session.

However, she noted that not all disruptions in the Taiwan Strait would meet the threshold, saying that civilian vessels forming a line to block passage would not qualify.

Her statement echoed that of former Japanese Prime Minister and fellow Liberal Democratic Party member Taro Aso, who has said on multiple occasions that Japan would likely consider a conflict across the Taiwan Strait as a survival-threatening situation.

In 2021, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned Beijing against invading Taiwan, saying in a speech on Taiwan-Japan relations: "A Taiwan contingency is a contingency for Japan."

"In other words, it is also a contingency for the Japan-U.S. alliance," Abe added, urging China's leadership not to misjudge the situation.

Takaichi, who was elected Japan's 104th prime minister last month, is widely regarded as "Taiwan-friendly" and aligned with the policy direction of the late Abe.