Japan's new security bills adopted last month to allow the country's military to play a greater role is expected to change the existing strategic situation in the Taiwan Strait as Tokyo could become a player in cross-strait issues, Taiwanese experts said Friday.
The new guidelines for US-Japan Defense Cooperation and Japan's passage of two new security bills in September are set to bring changes to the strategic situation across the Taiwan Strait and in the Asia-Pacific region, said Lai I-chung of the Taiwan Thinktank, an opposition think tank.
Speaking at a news conference on Japan's new security bills and Taiwan's security, Lai said he saw the new legislation and defense guidelines as positive to the balance of military power in the strait and in the region. They enable Japan to be a player in cross-strait issues, which currently involves only Taiwan, China and the United States, he said at the news conference held by Taiwan Brain Trust, also an opposition think tank. This could create new opportunities for cooperation between Taiwan and the US-Japan alliance, Lai added.
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