Japan on Defensive in China’s Continuing Information War; Government Must Take Steps to Change the Narrative

By Yujiro Okabe and Akiko Yoshinaga / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

2:00 JST, December 8, 2025

Sunday marks one month since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi remarked on a possible Taiwan contingency during Diet deliberations. Takaichi said a Taiwan contingency could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, which would allow the nation to exercise the right of collective self-defense in a limited manner.

Since then China has widely criticized Japan in the international community, claiming Japan suggested military intervention in Taiwan. Japan has been mostly on the defensive amid the furor, and the government needs to take urgent steps to change the course.

“Japan and France are maintaining close communication on various issues, including relations with China,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference on Friday.

Kihara’s statement was made in response to Thursday’s meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron in Beijing, where Xi urged the French leader to “stand firmly on the right side of history.”

Japan is lagging behind in China’s strategic information war.

Xi spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on the phone on Nov. 24, stressing the importance for the two countries “to jointly safeguard the victory of World War II.” Having tactically woven history into Takaichi’s remark, Xi apparently meant to create the impression that Japan, a defeated nation, is attempting to change the status quo by force in the Taiwan Strait.

With German and British leaders scheduled to visit China next year, this unusual situation of China’s top leader actively engaging in an information war is likely to continue.

Takaichi held phone talks with Trump the day after Xi. Likewise, Keiichi Ichikawa, secretary general of the National Security Secretariat, did not contact his British and French counterparts until three to five days after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

France will host next year’s Group of Seven summit and, according to Bloomberg, is considering inviting China. China’s momentum in drawing in European nations and the United States cannot be underestimated.

Possible delay in Taiwan policy

“We are deliberately striving for a restrained response to avoid playing the same game,” a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.

China’s Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian made an inappropriate post on social media in response to Takaichi’s remark, but as one example of how the government is carefully considering its moves, another senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said that if the government were to deport Xue over that post, “he’d only be treated as a hero in China, which would benefit Beijing.”

Amid steady approval ratings for the Cabinet, the Takaichi administration seems to gaining confidence.

However, this kind of passive approach might put Japan at a disadvantage in the ongoing information war. Particularly concerning is the stagnation of its policy regarding Taiwan.

Since last September, the government has had a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer pass through the Taiwan Strait three times. It thereby aimed to demonstrate its presence under the principles of “freedom of navigation” and deter China, which is intensifying pressure on Taiwan.

However, a senior Self-Defense Forces official said: “The passage [of an MSDF vessel] at this point would be used by China as a propaganda tool to claim ‘Japan has demonstrated its willingness for armed intervention through action.’ Unless the government ceases China’s information war, the situation remains difficult for Japan.”

Proper explanation necessary

According to government sources, during the recent phone talks with Takaichi, Trump expressed understanding of Japan’s position while conveying his view that further deterioration of the situation between Japan and China is undesirable.

Eager to visit China next year, Trump has not announced support for Japan this time around.

“Now that the United States and China are inching closer, Trump must have concluded it’s wiser to distance himself from the Japan-China confrontation in a classic Trump-style strategic ambiguity,” said a diplomatic source close to Tokyo and Washington. For the time being, it looks unrealistic to expect support from the United States, which is Japan’s ally.

“Japan should avoid a war of words with China, but it needs to make greater diplomatic efforts commensurate with the global attention,” said Ryo Sahashi, a professor of international relations theory at the University of Tokyo. “Japan should explain that Takaichi’s remark does not imply changing the status quo, but rather represents proactive pacifism to preserve regional stability amid declining U.S. involvement. It should also ensure that this positive interpretation is widely known through summit diplomacy.”