Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook: Taiwan Strait Peace and PRC Security Concerns Take Center Stage

Tokyo Highlights Growing China Threat and Importance of Taiwan's Stability in Annual Report

Tokyo, April 9 - Japan's 2025 Diplomatic Bluebook, released this Tuesday, has sharply focused on the increasing security challenges presented by the People's Republic of China (PRC), while simultaneously reiterating the vital importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Presented by Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi at a Cabinet meeting, the annual report meticulously examines the complex international landscape, including the evolving security environment in East Asia and the PRC's escalating military activities in the region.

The report highlights China's efforts to unilaterally alter the status quo by force, particularly around the East China Sea, including the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands (known as the Diaoyu Islands in Taiwan), and the South China Sea.

The Japanese government, in this latest Diplomatic Bluebook, also expressed significant concern regarding the growing military cooperation between China and Russia.

The report specifically notes instances in 2024 where Chinese and Russian military aircraft encroached upon Japanese airspace.

Further south, the PRC's "coercive and intimidating maneuvers" in the South China Sea, along with military exercises conducted around Taiwan, also drew attention in the report.

A central theme of the report emphasizes that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is not merely a matter of regional security for Japan but is also a fundamental pillar for the international community's stability.

The report also references statements issued at meetings of G7 foreign ministers, affirming the crucial role of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and advocating for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, a position consistently upheld since 2021.

Additionally, the Bluebook includes details from the joint statement issued following a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Washington in February.

The joint statement emphasized "the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community."

It further stated their opposition to "any attempts to unilaterally force or coerce changes to the status quo," advocating for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.

While the Diplomatic Bluebook usually covers events from the previous year (the 2025 edition covers January to December 2024), this release also includes key developments from early 2025, such as the meeting between Ishiba and Trump in February.