Former Japanese PM Noda calls Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks ‘dangerous’ and ‘going too far’
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Sunday criticized Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her recent remarks on China’s Taiwan, calling them “too far” and “dangerous,” according to local media reports. Speaking at a party meeting in Nagasaki Prefecture, Noda—now the leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (
CDPJ)—said Takaichi had overstepped at a time when relations between Japan and China are already extremely tense, Kyodo News reported. “It seems she thinks she is popular among ruling Liberal Democratic Party supporters. I think it is even more dangerous,” Noda added. On a Fuji TV program on Sunday, CDPJ policy chief Satoshi Honjo said Takaichi’s responses in the Diet “show a lack of understanding of the security legislation,” adding that her awareness of the Chinese mainland’s position regarding Taiwan was also insufficient. During a Diet session on November 7, Takaichi claimed that a Taiwan emergency involving the Chinese mainland’s use of military vessels or force could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. Under existing legislation, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces could exercise the right of collective self-defense if such a situation is recognized as threatening Japan’s survival. Despite heavy criticism, Takaichi later insisted that her remarks were consistent with the government’s longstanding view and said she had no intention of retracting them.