Graphic: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Japan-China_Summit_Meeting_at_the_APEC_South_Korea_2025_%28cropped%29.jpg; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Since November 2025, China and Japan have been locked in a diplomatic crisis over statements from Japan’s Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, which suggested that Japan may intervene on Taiwan’s behalf if China launched an attack. Japan’s justification for military intervention are difficult to defend based on the United Nations Charter, while many of China’s claims and retaliations run afoul in the same way. This dispute is unlikely to be settled on the basis of international law. Any reconciliation will require a concerted effort by both parties’ diplomats to lower the temperature and kick the can down the road on an issue that does not have an immediate answer.
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