During his long tenure as prime minister, Shinzo Abe deftly avoided overtures toward Taiwan that would jolt ties with China. Now, he¡¯s joined the growing chorus of Japanese voices calling for greater support for the democratically ruled island.
The former prime minister was among a group of lawmakers who gathered in a large wood-paneled room in Tokyo last week for a video conference with counterparts from Taiwan and the U.S. to discuss shared concerns. Abe, who retains leadership of a key ruling party faction, said , according to broadcaster TBS.
Abe¡¯s embrace of a more supportive policy toward Taipei is emblematic of a broader shift across the government in response to Chinese President Xi Jinping¡¯s crackdown on Hong Kong and increased military activities in the Taiwan Strait. Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, a longtime Abe ally, sparked a rebuke from Beijing last month after he told a gathering that Japan would have to work with the U.S. to defend Taiwan in the event of a crisis.
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