Safe Spaces Publication

Ja panese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday announced that she would dissolve parliament on Friday. Although the snap election on Feb. 8 might appear to be a domestic affair, it would have real implications for Taiwan and regional security. Whether the Takaichi-led coalition can advance a stronger security policy lies in not just gaining enough seats in parliament to pass legislation, but also in a public mandate to push forward reforms to upgrade the Japanese military.

Global headlines have been dominated by the US kidnapping of deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on Saturday. While debates continue regarding its compliance under international law, it is worth taking a closer look at the motive behind the operation and what it means for Taiwan. Parallels have been drawn with 1989’s Operation Just Cause, in which then-US president George H.W. Bush ordered the capture of then-Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. One reason Bush cited for

As Japan faces unprecedented harassment from China following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Nov. 7 remarks on potentially using its military to defend itself in a Chinese attack on Taiwan, it is evident that countries in the region must boost coordination in countering Chinese hegemony. In addition to disinformation campaigns attacking Takaichi, false claims against Japanese sovereignty over Okinawa and economic coercion, Beijing on Saturday ramped up its intimidati

Apart from the first arms sales approval for Taiwan since US President Donald Trump took office, last month also witnessed another milestone for Taiwan-US relations. Trump signed the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act into law on Tuesday. Its passing without objection in the US Senate underscores how bipartisan US support for Taiwan has evolved. The new law would further help normalize exchanges between Taiwanese and US government officials. We have already seen a flurry of

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi late last month made ripples throughout Japan and the region with her charm offensive during US President Donald Trump’s Tokyo visit. Their camaraderie appeared as if it was a reunion of old friends, despite being their first in-person meeting. The leaders vowed to deepen economic and security cooperation and signed a framework agreement on the supply of critical minerals and rare earths. Noteworthy is not only how the supply of such min

Japan’s parliament made history yesterday as it elected Sanae Takaichi, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), as the country’s first female prime minister.DP), as the country’s first female prime minister. What was seen as a crisis just a week ago after the pacifist Komeito party exited the ruling coalition has turned into a decisive victory, with Takaichi securing 237 of the 465 seats in the lower house. Her outreach to new smaller parties paid off after su