Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) and U.S. President Donald Trump review an honor guard of the Japan Self-Defense Force at the Akasaka State Guest House in Tokyo on Oct. 28, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP
As Beijing intensifies its intimidation campaign against Tokyo for the Japanese prime minister’s comments regarding Taiwan, experts say this aggression is instead pushing Japan to accelerate its defense modernization and deepen its security ties with Washington.
Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Dec. 10 that Beijing failed to provide “sufficient information” to ensure safety when notifying Tokyo that its military drills would begin, according to a Jiji Press report.
