Opinion | On Taiwan, U.S. ambiguity trumps Japanese clarity - The Washington Post

[Key Wu]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/27/taiwan-japan-china-tensions-trump/

Japan’s prime minister says the quiet part out loud

Trump’s ambiguity on Taiwan is frustrating but effective.

Editorial Board

November 27, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. ESTToday at 8:00 a.m. EST

Newly installed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has found herself in a scuffle with China over the thorny issue of Taiwan. She could stand to learn a lesson or two from a surprising source when it comes to this diplomatic conundrum: Donald Trump.

Takaichi sparked an escalating diplomatic row by telling her parliament that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would threaten Japan’s survival, and Tokyo would respond militarily to defend the democratic, self-ruled island. It’s encouraging that Japan is taking the threat seriously, but Beijing reacted to Tokyo with the predictable overheated fury.

China’s top diplomat in Osaka, Consul General Xue Jian, effectively threatened to behead the Japanese leader on social media. China’s Foreign Ministry warned its citizens against traveling to Japan, and the Education Ministry told students to reconsider their study plans. The planned release of two Japanese films in China was nixed, and Beijing threatened to cut off its market to Japanese seafood.

In a warning of how tensions might quickly escalate, China sent a formation of Coast Guard ships to patrol in the waters around the disputed Senkaku islands in Japan and the Diaoyu islands in China. These sorts of maneuvers can easily turn deadly in the event of an accidental collision in narrow waters.

This reflects profound insecurity on China’s part, and it’s a reminder of why, for all of America’s missteps, many countries still prefer dealing with Washington. And Takaichi wasn’t wrong. Japan has legitimate economic and security interests in Taiwan, which produces some 90 percent of the world’s most advanced chips and is vital to Japan’s shipping lanes.

Recognizing this reality, Japan has been ramping up its military spending and acquiring more sophisticated weaponry. Japan’s new strategic doctrine correctly names China and North Korea as the greatest threats to regional stability. But why pick a fight now? Tokyo gains little from saying the quiet part out loud, even if hawks in other democratic nations take kindly to the country’s newfound assertiveness.

Contrast this with Trump’s ability to remain ambiguous on how the U.S. might react in the event of a Chinese invasion. During his Asia trip last month, he managed to lower the temperature after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Taiwan was reportedly never discussed. A Monday phone call between Trump and Xi about the self-ruling democratic island may have eased tensions even more. Trump too often shoots from the hip, posting about attacking Venezuela or going into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to protect Christians. But he clearly understands the stakes with China are far higher.

Xi thrives on external conflict to rally nationalist sentiment at home and divert attention from China’s slowing economy and widespread youth unemployment. Weaponizing anti-Japanese outrage is an easy way to do it.

Deterrence doesn’t require unneeded provocation. With China, carrying a big stick is always better than speaking loudly.

[Luby Liao]

This WaPo editorial advises Japan to be quiet and, by extension, other countries to be quiet, so as not to provoke China.  The byline makes this clear, with the added benefit of praising Trump.

But that is precisely what the world has been doing wrong by acquiescing to China.  Indeed, there has not been a war in the Taiwan Strait.  But the situation seems to get worse by the day, with China becoming ever more assertive and belligerent, so much so that the Economist has called Taiwan the most dangerous place on Earth.  That is, until Takaichi speaks clearly of the danger China poses.  This makes Taiwan and the world safer because, for the first time, China knows that its aggression towards Taiwan will be met, not with Taiwan alone, but with an alliance of countries.

Instead of asking countries to acquiesce to China, WaPo should urge them to do the opposite by speaking the truth.  That, in addition to making the world safer, is morally the right thing to do.

Cheers, Luby  

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