讀後心得

Winston, the chairman of Japan affairs at the Hudson Institute in Washington, stated that during Trump's presidency, if a conflict arises in Taiwan, defense cooperation between Japan and the United States will be crucial. He emphasized that Japan recognizes its own responsibility for national defense and believes that while the risk of Chinese aggression towards Taiwan or Japanese islands exists, it is unlikely to occur in the short term. He pointed out that Trump will do everything possible to avoid military intervention in a Taiwan Strait conflict, but if China attacks Taiwan, the United States will respond decisively. Furthermore, Winston mentioned that Japan plans to undertake proactive cyber defense measures to support its participation in the Australia-UK-US trilateral security partnership (AUKUS) and believes that Japan's involvement will strengthen AUKUS significantly.

The chairman of Japan affairs at the Hudson Institute in Washington recently stated in a media interview that during the Trump administration, if a conflict arises in Taiwan, Japan's defense cooperation with Tokyo and Washington will play a critical role.

He said, "Once there is an issue with Taiwan or Japan, Japan's own interests will be more important than those of the United States. Japan has realized that national defense is now primarily its own responsibility, rather than depending on the United States, which is a significant advancement."

When discussing China's potential aggression towards Taiwan or Japan's remote islands, he believes it is unlikely to happen in the short term, although the risk always exists. He noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping would not lightly risk provoking the U.S. president, especially when China's economy has not yet fully recovered from the pandemic.

He emphasized that Trump will do everything possible to ensure that military force does not need to be used in a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, but if China attacks Taiwan, the expectation is that the U.S. will react very decisively.

Additionally, he mentioned that Japan plans to implement a "proactive cyber defense" mechanism to guard against major cyber attacks, which will pave the way for Japan to join the AUKUS trilateral security partnership. He also believes that if Japan can contribute to AUKUS submarine components, it will promote this development.

He added, "If Japan joins as a fully qualified partner, the strength of AUKUS will be significantly enhanced."