Is Takaichi detering war or encouraging war with her comments?

Is China too emotional, or are Takaichi and Lai Ching-te too unserious? - Briefing #64

The past 2 weeks have marked perhaps the lowest point in Sino-Japanese relations since WWII.

Yes, we had previous episodes of bad blood between the two countries, from the 2012/2013 Diaoyu/Senkaku dispute to the more recent nuclear waste controversy. But none of these past incidents was as politically poisonous as Takaichi’s comment on Nov. 7 regarding Taiwan:

If warships are used accompanied by the exercise of military force, then however you look at it, it could be a situation posing an survival-threatening threat to the country (Japan).

What happens afterwards has been intense information warfare from all sides. On China’s side, the Chinese consul at Osaka shocked social media with his “beheading” comment. I don’t think letting crude comments take the center stage is wise here, as it easily shifts too much of the attention towards this patronizing attitude of how overly “emotional” or “immature” China seems to be. The ensuing noise makes many people unable and unwilling to ask the simple question: just why exactly is anything happening to Taiwan a “survival-threatening” event for Japan again?

It’s a bit absurd if you consider the fact that this would imply that the Republic of China government in Taipei and Japan are military allies, and that Taiwan falls under Japan’s protection, or at least sphere of influence. It’s as if the Empire of Japan and Taiwan’s status as its overseas colony never ceased to exist.

It’s absurd also because even the US has never said this kind of thing. Never has the US officially claimed or guaranteed that it would ally with Taiwan should the war happen. But Japan has. You heard it right: Japan, represented by Takaichi, is the first one among all countries to explicitly state that a military action in Taiwan would trigger its own military response.

At least 2 reasons immediately come into my mind for China’s fierce protests against this, and it will be impossible for China to off-ramp until Takaichi, a long-term China hawk, takes down her comments.