Japan Think Tank Flags South China Sea Link to Taiwan
Japan’s defence ministry think tank said in its China Security Report 2027, released Friday, that Beijing increasingly prioritises control of the South China Sea to deter US intervention in any Taiwan contingency, Kyodo News reported. The institute said a blockade of the Bashi Channel and air and maritime superiority south of Taiwan could give Chinese forces an advantage, but stressed the report reflects its researchers’ analysis, not official government policy.
Separately, Tokyo said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit the Philippines and China from November 16 to 19, including the APEC summit in Shenzhen, her first China trip as prime minister, AFP reported through CNA. Analysts quoted said a bilateral summit with Xi Jinping is very unlikely.
Naigai Times reported that four China Coast Guard ships were confirmed near the Senkaku Islands on November 12, the nineteenth consecutive day.
The developments do not by themselves indicate a change in posture.