Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi campaigning [Tokyo EPA=Yonhap News]

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan, who previously drew strong backlash from China for suggesting intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency, is now expected to cause further ripples in the frozen Sino-Japanese relations by stating that Japan should rescue Japanese and Americans in Taiwan during a contingency.

According to the Asahi Shimbun and Nikkei Shimbun on the 27th, Prime Minister Takaichi said on a TV program the previous day, "When a major incident occurs there, we (Japan) must go rescue Japanese and Americans in Taiwan," adding, "There may be cases where we take joint action with the United States there."

He argued that if Japan were to flee without doing anything when U.S. forces are attacked, the Japan-U.S. alliance would collapse, citing the case of evacuating Japanese residents in Taiwan by the U.S. and Japan.

However, Prime Minister Takaichi added, "We will respond by comprehensively judging what is happening there (Taiwan) within the scope of current laws."

Regarding his statement in November last year suggesting intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency, he said on the same TV program the previous day, "It does not mean that Japan will engage in military action when China and the United States clash."

It appears that Prime Minister Takaichi intended to explain that Japan would align with the U.S. military in terms of evacuating its citizens, rather than engaging in military action during a Taiwan contingency, but it is analyzed that this could further provoke China, which is sensitive to the Taiwan issue.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks the previous day also appear to be an expression of emphasis on the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and a willingness to act in concert with the United States in the event of a Taiwan contingency, ahead of the visit to Japan by U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, who is pressuring Japan to increase its defense budget.

In November last year, Prime Minister Takaichi stated in the Diet regarding a Taiwan contingency, "If the use of warships involves the use of force, this can be considered a situation of existential crisis (where collective self-defense can be exercised) no matter how you look at it," which drew a strong backlash from China.

Although he has since stated multiple times that he is open to dialogue with China, Sino-Japanese relations further deteriorated when China announced its policy of export controls on some items, including rare earths, in early January.