Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned Xi Jinping that an attack on Taiwan “will be China’s economic suicide.”

Former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe Warn China on Wednesday Possible consequences of armed intervention in TaiwanHe said that this would constitute an “emergency in the Japan-US alliance” and Beijing’s “economic suicide.”

In his speech on Wednesday at a virtual forum organized by the National Institute of Political Science, Taiwan’s think tank, Abe spoke of this hypothetical scenario against the backdrop of increasing tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

“Once an emergency occurs in Taiwan, it is also an emergency for Japan and the Japan-US alliance. In Beijing, especially President Xi Jinping, they should never be confused when they understand this.“Abe said in his speech at the forum that it was included in the Japanese media.

“Japan, Taiwan and all of us who believe in democracy need to insist to Xi Jinping and the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party that they are not on the wrong path.“Notice that this is the prime minister who has been in power for the longest time in Japan’s history (2012-2020), and is still considered one of the most influential figures in the ruling party in Japan.

Taiwan is an island of a democratic government, living under the threat of Chinese military actions. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and expresses its intention to take it back one day. Since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power, Beijing has increased its pressure on the island, and Tsai Ing-wen has refused to recognize Taiwan as part of “One China.”

“A military adventure (in Taiwan) will be China’s economic suicide,” and it will also cause “serious damage” to the world economy. Abe added that he resigned for health reasons in September last year and is still a member of the lower house of the Japanese Diet.

Abe also recalled that the Senkaku Islands (called the Diaoyu Islands), which are governed by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing, are about 100 kilometers away from Taiwan and other remote islands in the southwestern part of the Japanese archipelago.

Japan and the United States have signed a bilateral defense treaty, And the latter has some of the largest military bases in the Pacific region in Okinawa (southwestern Japan). In turn, Washington maintained an ambiguous relationship with Taiwan. Although it continued to maintain informal relations with Taiwan and sold military equipment to the Taiwan authorities, it severed official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 and turned to support Beijing.

The “Taiwan Relations Act” approved by the United States stipulates that Washington will help Taipei in defense affairs, but it has not been determined whether North American countries will intervene in a possible Chinese attack on the island.

China’s response

Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that Beijing had summoned the Japanese ambassador to China regarding Abe’s “seriously erroneous statement” on the Taiwan issue.

In response, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Japanese Ambassador Hideo Taruumi that Abe’s remarks “seriously interfered” in China’s internal affairs. “Historically, Japan launched a war of aggression against China and committed heinous crimes against the Chinese,” Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying said in a statement.

“He has no right and no right to make irresponsible remarks on the Taiwan issue,” he added.

The Pentagon announced this week plans to strengthen and expand its military bases in Guam and Australia, focusing on China.

(Information from EFE and AFP)

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