At the Quad Leaders Summit, President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida met to discuss the advancement of cooperation on security, diplomacy, and economic issues. They discussed their mutual concern over recent “coercive and destabilizing activities” in the South China Seas. They also expressed their gratitude for their mutual support of the Alliance defense. They also reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, stating their approval of the status quo. They also iterated their continual dedication to developing and protecting AI and semiconductor technologies while also developing strategies to bolster their economic security.
In a joint press conference, Prime Minister Kishida stated, “From such perspective, we agreed that our two countries will continue to respond to challenges concerning China through close coordination. At the same time, we confirmed the importance of continuing our dialogue with China and cooperating with China on common challenges. We also underscored the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and confirmed our position to encourage peaceful resolution of the Cross-Straits issue.”
When asked whether strengthening defense between the two countries against China was the appropriate measure to avoid provocation, Kishida answered: “Based on the solid trust with our ally, the United States, we will continue to call on China to fulfill its responsibilities as a major power. Japan’s policy, which I have consistently embraced, is to comprehensively promote the mutual strategic relationship we have with China and establish a constructive and stable Japan-China relationship through efforts by both sides.”
Biden echoed the sentiment stating that his recent peace talks with China’s President Xi Jinping have been focused on the maintenance of open communication to reduce chances of misunderstanding and miscalculation.
The reaffirmation of alliances between democratic countries is essential in maintaining stability in the international order. The U.S.-Japan alliance is especially crucial at a time when the Indo-Pacific region is such a hotly contested area. Reaffirmation of the commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait is important in light of increasing threats from China. Taiwan is a democratic state and strong U.S. ally that is especially vulnerable to China’s coercion, therefore military defense must be implemented to ensure that the status quo is maintained. However, there is concern that increasing defense and building up preventative military measures can be construed as a threat by China. This is a dilemma that all states face, the increase of defense will always be interpreted as a threat and provoke retaliation. U.S.-China relations are incredibly volatile at the moment and increasing defense and alliance with Japan can be perceived as threatening especially in aspects concerning Taiwan.
China and Taiwan have had a long and complex relationship. Taiwan is a democratic country that essentially operates as a sovereign state, however, China still lays claim to it as a territory. Internal politics within Taiwan and political tension between the two states have escalated in recent years. As a democratic state, Taiwan is a strong ally of the U.S., however, the U.S.’s current agreement with China is to recognize Taiwan as a part of China. The status quo remains a delicate balance in which Taiwan operates as a state independent from China and is often recognized as such by its citizens, but not officially by the international community. Japan is a neighboring democratic ally to the U.S., and so geographically plays an essential role in protecting Taiwan’s current state of sovereignty. The U.S. relies on Japan and South Korea as peacekeepers in the Indo-Pacific region because of their geographic proximity to the region and their advanced democratic governments.
Overall, continuous affirmations of democratic alliances are important in maintaining international relationships and peace. Kishida and Biden’s approaches to preserving peace in the South China Sea promote the strengthening of democracy in a nonviolent and non-aggressive manner. However, this does not guarantee a peaceful response from China. The best solution to de-escalate is to open up these discussions to China and increase transparency in military operations to decrease miscommunication between states.
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