Taiwan has appointed Shigeru Iwasaki, a former chief of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces (SDF), as an adviser to its government, according to senior Taiwanese officials. This move highlights the increasingly close relationship between Taiwan and Japan as both governments navigate escalating tensions with China.
Iwasaki, who served as chief of staff of Japan’s SDF from 2012 to 2014, was named as a consultant to Taiwan’s Cabinet, though the appointment was not officially announced due to the sensitive diplomatic nature of the decision, according to the officials who requested anonymity.
China responded negatively to the appointment, lodging formal protests with Japan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated on March 21 that the Taiwan issue remains “an internal affair of China that brooks no external interference.”
The decision comes amid rising regional tension driven by China’s growing assertiveness. This week, Beijing conducted military exercises around Taiwan’s main island in response to recent U.S. diplomatic support for the self-governed territory, which China claims and seeks to control—by force if necessary.
Taiwan and Japan share similar concerns over Chinese military activities in the region. Japan has an ongoing territorial dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea. Additionally, relations between Tokyo and Beijing have been strained following China’s ban on Japanese seafood after Japan began releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
In an effort to ease tensions, Japan and China are scheduled to hold their first economic dialogue in six years on March 22. The dialogue coincides with a trilateral diplomatic meeting in Tokyo involving Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-Yul.
