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Tokyo (CNN) - Japan is drawing a red line around an island chain also claimed by China, pushing back at Beijing's increasingly aggressive military posturing, and setting the stage for a potential showdown between the region's two biggest powers.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, are unquestionably Japanese territory and would be defended as such, with Tokyo matching any Chinese threat to the islands ship for ship, and beyond if necessary.
Japan has been expanding its Self-Defense Forces, adding state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jets and converting warships to aircraft carriers for them. It is also building new destroyers, submarines and missiles, all the while noting its military expenditure still pales in comparison with China's increased military spending.
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When Tokyo released its annual defense white paper in July, it contained its strongest language ever on Taiwan, saying "stabilizing the situation surrounding Taiwan is important for Japan's security."
At the time, Kishi said it should be monitored with "a sense of crisis."
In his interview with CNN, he gave specifics.
"What's happening in Taiwan is directly linked to Japan," he said, noting the island sits astride his country's "energy lifeline."
"Ninety percent of energy that Japan uses is imported through the areas around Taiwan," Kishi said.
It's a vulnerability that Tokyo has to mitigate.
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Tokyo and Washington share a mutual defense treaty, meaning the US is obligated to defend Japanese territory.
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While lining up partners, Japan is also improving its own arsenal, including developing and acquiring weapons systems that can strike areas well beyond Japanese territory.
Without saying what areas those longer range systems might target, the Japanese defense minister said it was important for the country's military to have the right equipment to defend it from any threat.'
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Japan's defense minister draws red line in island dispute with China, September 16, 2021
'Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Wang Ting-yu said AUKUS is clearly aimed at containing Chinese military power, especially with regard to the international waters of the South China Sea, and the Chinese Communist Party's military threat to invade Taiwan by force.''Officials and lawmakers in the democratic island of Taiwan have welcomed a trilateral security pact between the U.S., the U.K., and Australia that will help Canberra develop nuclear submarines, saying it hopes to continue to deepen its diplomatic ties with the U.S. and E.U.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said the Taiwanese government had "taken note" of the AUKUS pact, and that Taiwan held common interests with the three allies.
The new security partnership announced on Sept. 15 is widely viewed as a pushback against growing Chinese military power in the region.
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Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Wang Ting-yu said AUKUS is clearly aimed at containing Chinese military power, especially with regard to the international waters of the South China Sea, and the Chinese Communist Party's military threat to invade Taiwan by force.
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Former Taiwanese Chief of General Staff Lee Hsi-ming warned on Friday that Xi has linked the invasion of Taiwan with his concept of the "Chinese Dream," and the "rejuvenation" of the Chinese nation.
He called for better defenses to deter any such attack.
"The only way to be sure is to make it impossible for him," Lee told an online forum on Friday. "The best way to fight a war is to prevent it from happening in the first place."
Lee called for bigger military reserves and a homeland defense force to boost Taiwan's own defense capabilities.'
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Taiwan Welcomes AUKUS Pact, Calls For Stronger Ties With Democracies, September 17, 2021
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