Japan’s Red Line on Taiwan, and Why Its China Trade Boom May Not Last, ft. Stephen Nagy

Chinese leader Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are expected to be in Shenzhen in November for the APEC summit. How does Tokyo view meetings between Trump and Xi, and where does Taiwan fit?

Stephen Nagy, a professor at International Christian University in Tokyo and senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, explains why Japan sees Taiwan as the linchpin of its security, what Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan did and didn’t say, and how Tokyo draws its own red line, separate from that of Beijing.

He also explains why Japan’s long practice of keeping politics and economics separate has broken down, why Japanese companies are diversifying rather than decoupling, and why he expects today’s China–Japan trade boom to fade.

We also discuss what Beijing still needs from Japan, why Nagy thinks Canada’s middle-power pitch landed poorly in East Asia, and the one thing Americans most often get wrong about Japan.

Views expressed in this episode are opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

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Terri Wu is a Washington-based freelance reporter for The Epoch Times covering education and China-related issues. Send tips to terri.wu@epochtimes.com.

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