Former Prime Minister Taro Aso has once again found himself at the center of controversy over Taiwan on Wednesday, after delivering remarks a day earlier that referred to the island as an important ¡°country¡± for Japan ¡ª despite Tokyo¡¯s lack of formal diplomatic ties with Taipei.
In his remarks at an event in Tokyo celebrating Taiwan¡¯s National Day, which Taipei was set to mark Thursday, Aso called the democratic island a ¡°close country¡± and stressed that it is ¡°extremely important¡± to maintain friendly relations even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.
Instability in the Taiwan Strait would be ¡°an existential crisis situation¡± for Japan, local media quoted him as saying, adding that he hoped ¡°that the people of Taiwan will be prepared to protect and defend (the island).¡±
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