Japan would be in a far weaker position to defend its territory in the event Taiwan was controlled by Beijing. This is because Japan’s defensive concept relies on its ability to hold at-risk PRC naval vessels and warplanes that venture near, through, and beyond what is informally known as the First Island Chain. For Japan’s defensive posture to work, the full island chain, which includes the Japanese and Philippine archipelagoes as well as Taiwan at the center, must remain in the hands of friendly powers.
