The Japanese government is worried about Beijing’s designs on Taiwan — and perhaps also the incoming Biden administration’s willingness to meet the challenge. Reuters reports:

“We are concerned China will expand its aggressive stance into areas other than Hong Kong. I think one of the next targets, or what everyone is worried about, is Taiwan,” State Minister of Defense Yasuhide Nakayama told Reuters.

In an interview, Nakayama, Japan’s deputy defence minister, urged Biden to take a similar line on Taiwan as outgoing President Donald Trump, who has significantly boosted military sales to the Chinese-claimed island and increased engagement.

The conversation surrounding alliances during the Trump era generally lacked perspective beyond transatlantic disputes. For all the uncertainty wrought by the president’s off-the-cuff comments on NATO, tariffs targeting allied countries, and hasty troop drawdowns, the administration’s work behind the scenes did strengthen U.S. alliances in many underappreciated ways.

As the outgoing team prepares for the transition, U.S. allies appear reassured by Biden’s ascension to the White House but still worried about his ability to confront the Chinese Communist Party.

You Might Like

This Reuters interview might be the first of a genre similar to that featuring European diplomats venting about Trump’s excesses:

“So far, I haven’t yet seen a clear policy or an announcement on Taiwan from Joe Biden. I would like to hear it quickly, then we can also prepare our response on Taiwan in accordance,” Nakayama said.

There’s still time for a reassuring post-Trump China policy to take shape. But unless the incoming administration goes out of its way to build on the outgoing team’s foreign-policy legacy, expect to see many more stories like this.