It would be dangerous if both sides of the Taiwan Strait capitalized on increasing tension with Japan as a test for their improving relations, a Japanese pundit attending an international forum said in Taipei yesterday.
Takagi Seiichiro, a professor at the School of International Politics, Economics and Business at the Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, said that it only corresponded to Japan’s best national interest that it maintained sound relationships with both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
If either Taipei or Beijing heightened tensions with Tokyo and used it as a test for the improvement of their relations, it would be perilous not only for Japan but also for its ally, the US, he said.
Takagi made the remarks at the “Taiwan-Japan Forum” sponsored by the Taipei-based Foundation of International and Cross-Strait Studies (FICS).
His forum, entitled “How to avoid the trap of ‘two against one’?” argued that the relationship between the three main players in the Taiwan Strait — Taiwan, China and Japan — was “two against one.”
From the viewpoint of sovereignty, Takagi said the relationship among the three parties was a zero-sum game.
In other words, Japan and China were on the same side against Taipei. However, Tokyo has also made it clear that it only “respected” and “understood” China’s claim over Taiwan. Beijing, at the same time “understood” that Japan maintained economic and cultural ties with Taiwan.
Despite its diplomatic relations with Beijing, Takagi said Tokyo often resisted Beijing’s opposition.
One of the examples was when Tokyo issued former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) a visa in April 2001 so he could seek medical treatment for his heart in Japan. Another was when Tokyo publicly endorsed Taiwan’s bid to join the World Health Assembly as an observer.
The relationship between Tokyo and Taipei hinged on the relationship between Taipei and Beijing, Takagi said.
In the past, Tokyo has opted to restrain Taipei from provoking Beijing. One of the immediate examples was Tokyo opposed to former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) proposal to hold a referendum on seeking to join the UN under the name “Taiwan” in conjunction with the presidential election in March.
Theoretically, it was possible that Japan could have formed an alliance with Taiwan against China, Takagi said, because some, who believed China would become a hegemony, saw China as a source of threat and thought it was important for Japan to strengthen cooperative relations with Taiwan.
Japan and Taiwan could not tackle China alone, however, if Beijing were set on becoming a hegemony, Takagi said. They would need the help of the US.
The alliance between Taiwan and China against Japan was not impossible either, Takagi said. While Beijing has repeatedly appealed to the “patriotic compatriots of Taiwan” to unify with the “motherland,” Takagi said it remained to be seen how Taiwan would respond to the call. Many Japanese, however, were concerned because of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) pro-China policy, he said.
Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), who delivered an opening speech at the event, said that Taiwan is looking forward to intensifying cooperative ties with Japan, especially in the fields of environmental protection and energy.
Noting that Japan has adopted environmental protection and energy conservation measures to reduce greenhouse gases and cope with global climate change in line with the Kyoto Protocol, Siew said the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration is placing great emphasis on the issue and looking to step up bilateral cooperation in the two fields.
Additional reporting by CNA
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