China and Japan are in a war of words over Taiwan what happens next?

"Japan's postwar constitution forbids it from using force as a means of settling international disputes but a 2015 law passed when Takaichi's mentor, Shinzo Abe, was prime minister permits it to exercise collective self-defence in certain situations, even if it is not directly under attack. China's ruling Communist party claims Taiwan is a province and has vowed to annex it by military force if it can't convince or coerce Taiwan to accept what it calls reunification."

"The so-called Taiwan contingency has become so serious that we have to anticipate a worst-case scenario, Takaichi said. She said an attack on Taiwan by China could trigger the deployment of her country's self-defence forces if the conflict posed an existential threat to Japan, which has territory as close as 110km from Taiwan's main island. Beijing has reacted with fury, casting her words as a military threat against China."

Sanae Takaichi indicated Japan could become militarily involved if China attempted to invade Taiwan. Japan's postwar constitution prohibits using force to settle disputes, but a 2015 law allows collective self-defence in certain circumstances even without a direct attack. China's Communist Party asserts Taiwan as a province and has vowed annexation by force if persuasion fails; Taiwan strongly opposes reunification. An invasion could escalate into regional or global conflict. Takaichi warned of a worst-case Taiwan contingency and noted Japan could face existential threats given territory within about 110km of Taiwan. Beijing reacted angrily, viewing the remarks as a military threat. Takaichi represents the LDP's right wing and is prioritising stronger Japanese defences.

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