The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to help Japan defend the Senkaku Islands if they are attacked. These are a group of islands in the East China Sea administered by Japan but the status of which is disputed by the People’s Republic of China as well as by the Republic of China.
The islands stretch from the region of southern Japan to a region close to Taiwan (“Japan, China Or Taiwan: Who Does The U.S. Support As 2 Key Allies Claim Disputed Islands In East China Sea,” Eurasian Times, February 3, 2025). The location of the island of the chain closest to Taiwan is indicated on the above map.
The Trump administration has assured Tokyo that it will defend the Senkaku Islands…as stipulated by Article 5 of the US-Japan Security Treaty.
The much-needed reassurance came after a 40-minute phone call between Japanese Defense Minister General Nakatani and the newly [confirmed] US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Nakatani described Hegseth’s remarks as a display of the “unwavering US commitment to defending Japan.”…
Article 5 of the US-Japan security treaty states: “Each Party recognizes that an armed attack against either Party in the territories under the administration of Japan would be dangerous to its peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger by its constitutional provisions and processes.”…
Chinese Coast Guard vessels harass Japanese fishing boats operating near the Senkaku Islands. In one instance, Chinese vessels sailed on a Japanese fishing boat’s tail for 27 hours and came as close as 40-50 meters from its stern.
Chinese Coast Guard vessels operate almost daily in the contiguous zone, which extends for 12 nautical miles beyond the territorial sea. These ships intrude into the territorial sea around the Senkakus about three times per month.
Despite the trilateral disagreement over whose islands these are, Japan needn’t worry about being attacked by Taiwan. Taiwan is not going to launch a war against Japan. Nor is Japan going to launch a war against Taiwan.
Neither Japan nor the Republic of China are the countries that would be igniting (more) conflict in the region. That would be the People’s Republic of China.
And it seems that if China attacks Taiwan and Japan becomes embroiled in this conflict, action by the U.S. to protect the Senkaku Islands would also be action to protect Taiwan.
We don’t know what will happen if China switches from constant almost-invading Taiwan to full-scale invasion. But we know that the Trump administration “has assured Tokyo that it will defend the Senkaku Islands” if the islands come under attack. A full-scale invasion of Taiwan would threaten these islands.
