In a conflict, Taipei’s fate would become quickly intertwined with the U.S.-Japan security alliance.

Japan is facing its most complex security environment in generations, pointing to Russia, China, North Korea and uncertainty in the Middle East as the key factors, defense leaders said on Thursday. They said Japan’s military will improve its capabilities and bolster cooperation with like-minded partners and allies,

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday lashed out at Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for "openly challenging" Chinese territorial sovereignty after the Japanese leader's remark on a Taiwan emergency heightened bilateral tensions.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a debate in the upper house of the Diet on Nov. 26, 2025 in Tokyo. Takaichi is under growing pressure from China following her remarks about Japan's position on Taiwan. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae ...

The move marks the first time in more than 13 years that a political stand-off has disrupted the annual mission to promote economic exchange.

Japan’s invasion of China in World War II began with the expansion of conflict after years of tension. Following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, Japanese forces launched a full-scale war, capturing cities like Beijing,

Zack Cooper, one of the report's authors, said a full-scale conflict would begin with amphibious landings by Chinese forces, accompanied by strikes on Taiwan's military as well as US forces based in Japan and Guam.