The ancient enmity between China and Japan has erupted into one of the most dangerous faceoffs in the Asia-Pacific in decades, with Tokyo openly threatening Beijing with military action if it invades Taiwan. 

It is believed that the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has ordered his forces to be ready to seize the island by 2027 and is now warning Tokyo would ‘bear all consequences’ if it dares to get in the way.

Officials from the two sides have since traded barbs, with one from China warning of decapitating ‘dirty necks’, seen as a direct threat to Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. 

The war of words suddenly moved much closer to the brink this week when Japan scrambled fighter jets after spotting what it said was a Chinese military drone near Yonaguni, its southernmost island, just a short distance from Taiwan’s east coast. 

At the same time, a formation of Chinese coast guard vessels sailed for hours through waters around the Senkaku Islands, a chain controlled by Japan but claimed by China, prompting furious protests from Tokyo.

Analysts say the timing is no accident – the incursions came days after Japan’s new leader, hardline conservative Takaichi, told parliament that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could amount to a ‘survival-threatening situation’ for Japan and might trigger a military response. 

The ‘survival-threatening’ line is enshrined in Japan’s security law, and it means an attack on its allies is seen as a direct threat against the country.  

In response, China’s defence minister, Jiang Bin, issued a stark warning, saying: ‘ Should the Japanese side fail to draw lessons from history and dare to take a risk, or even use force to interfere in the Taiwan question, it will only suffer a crushing defeat against the steel-willed People’s Liberation Army and pay a heavy price.’

With all the violent rhetoric, reports indicate that Tokyo is now considering building its own nuclear arsenal, a concept that has been considered taboo for decades. 

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