Event

Ever since Chiang Kai-shek led Kuomintang forces across the Taiwan Strait in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party has aimed for Taiwan's unification with the Chinese mainland. By contrast, Japan has never articulated a defense policy regarding Taiwan. Although the Taiwan issue has become central to security in the Pacific, Japan continues to avoid any direct reference to Taiwan. The 2022 National Security Strategy identified China as Japan's greatest strategic challenge, hinting at likely significant changes in Japanese defense policy in the future. This talk will examine Japan's defense policy toward Taiwan and the implications of a Chinese military unification of Taiwan for Japan.

Tomohisa Takei joined the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in 1979 after graduating from the National Defense Academy. He rose to the rank of admiral and served as the thirty-second chief of maritime staff from October 2014 until his retirement in December 2016. Currently, Takei serves as a special advisor to the chief executive officer of engineering company SAMPA KOGYO K.K, an advisor to the Japan Forum of Strategic Studies, and as a visiting fellow at the Japan Institute for International Affairs. He studied at the Graduate School of the University of Tsukuba, receiving a master’s degree in regional studies in 1993. He also graduated from the Naval Command College of the US Naval War College in 1999. From 2017 to 2020, Takei served as the chief of naval operations’ distinguished international fellow in the US Naval War College’s International Programs Department.