Japan's gov't sees Taiwan tensions as regional security risk

TOKYO (AP) — Japan believes rising tension surrounding Taiwan requires its attention “with a sense of crisis” as China intensifies military activities in the area and the United States steps up support for the self-governing island.

Japan's concerns about Taiwan, Beijing’s growing rivalry with the United States and China’s increasingly assertive military actions in the region were added to an annual Defense Ministry paper that was adopted Tuesday by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s Cabinet.

“Stabilizing the Taiwan situation is important for Japan’s national security and stability of the international community,” the paper said. “We need to pay close attention with a sense of crisis more than ever before.”

As China flexes its muscle in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region, Taiwan has become a regional flashpoint, as Japan, the United States and other democracies develop closer ties with the self-ruled island that Beijing regards as a renegade territory to be united by force if necessary.

“As China rapidly enhances its military power, changes in the military power balance between the United states and China may possibly affect the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region,” the report said. “It is necessary to pay greater attention to the military trends of the two countries in areas such as the South China Sea and Taiwan.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian called the report “extremely erroneous and irresponsible."

“We will never allow any country to interfere with the Taiwan issue in any way. China must and will surely be reunified, and it is in the best interest of regional peace and stability for China to achieve complete reunification," Zhao said at a daily briefing.

Taiwan was a Japanese colony for 50 years until 1945 and connections...