Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has declared that Tokyo remains vigilant against any potential security crisis in the region, emphasizing that the government's position on a possible conflict over Taiwan remains unchanged.
Visit to the Strategic Southern Islands
Koizumi made these remarks during a November 2025 visit to the southern island of Ishigaki, located approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles) east of Taiwan. This was his first tour of Japanese military and coast guard bases on the southern islands since assuming the defence portfolio in October.
While it is standard practice for new defence ministers to inspect these facilities, Koizumi's visit carried heightened significance. It followed a recent spike in tensions between Japan and China, triggered by comments from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on November 7. She had raised the theoretical possibility of Japanese military deployment if China were to attack Taiwan, a statement that provoked a sharp response from Beijing. The Prime Minister has since reaffirmed the government's longstanding policy of not discussing specific military scenarios.
Reaffirming Japan's Stance and Deterrence
Echoing the Prime Minister's calibrated approach, Koizumi stated that Japan's official position has not changed, as Tokyo seeks to de-escalate the diplomatic flare-up with Beijing. However, he was unequivocal about the need to bolster Japan's defences. "On a daily basis, I feel first-hand how severe the security environment surrounding our country is," Koizumi told the mayor of Ishigaki.
He asserted that the Defence Ministry and the Self-Defence Forces would continue their duties "while closely monitoring the situation." Furthermore, Koizumi stressed that Japan must enhance its deterrent power against evolving regional threats.
The situation was further complicated when China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Beijing had sent a letter to the United Nations. In it, China's Permanent Representative to the UN, Fu Cong, vowed resolute self-defence if Japan "dared to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait," labelling such an action "an act of aggression."
The Front Line of Maritime Sovereignty
Japan has been steadily fortifying its bases on the southern islands, a direct response to concerns over China's expanding military capabilities and the persistent risk of a confrontation over Taiwan. Beijing claims the democratically-governed island as part of its territory.
During his inspection, Koizumi identified the coast guard base on Ishigaki as the "front line" of Japan's efforts to protect its maritime sovereignty. This base serves as a crucial hub for patrol ships operating around the Senkaku Islands, a group of uninhabited islets controlled by Japan but claimed by China, which refers to them as the Diaoyu Islands.
In recent years, China has significantly increased its own patrols near the Senkakus, frequently deploying armed coast guard vessels into the territorial waters surrounding them, thereby creating a near-constant state of tension.
