"Some of the equipment we are just going to leave here" until the next joint drills, he told Reuters on a visit on Thursday to the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force base on Amami Oshima, part of an island chain stretching toward Taiwan.

’s self-defense during the initial moments of a Chinese invasion, before help arrives.

It has stated that it would endeavor to absorb Taiwan by peaceful means but has repeatedly threatened to annex the self-ruled island by force.

Newsham said it is important "for the Americans to sit down with the JSDF [Japan self-defense forces] and TAF [Taiwan Armed Force] and systematically state what is needed ... what the Americans will do and what the Japanese and the Taiwanese will do."

Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said he could not give details on how the military would counter the incursions. He did say, however, that Taiwan's military would react on the principle of "self-defense."

The ministry said it was in full control of the situation during the U.S. warships' route through the Taiwan Strait, the self-ruled island's defense ministry said in a statement. The U.S. navy conducted a similar mission in July.

He was likely referring to the CCP's sovereignty claims over the self-ruled Taiwan.

Kirby described the visit as a “normal practice” by the U.S. government under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), a U.S. law that requires Washington to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has never ruled Taiwan, considers the self-governed island a renegade province and has never ruled out the possibility of using military force to control it.

Facing Chinese pressure, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called attention to strengthening the island’s self-defense capabilities.

In December 2025, the Cabinet approved a record $784 billion defense budget as part of a five-year plan to strengthen deterrence. Japanese F-15 jets fly during the military review at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Asaka training ground on Oct. 27.

Washington currently has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but has maintained a robust relationship with Taipei based on the Taiwan Relations Act, which authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense

Pistorius, the German army is scheduled to hold joint drills with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force next year. This will be the first formal joint exercise between the two countries' land forces since World War II. Retired Maj. Gen.

News that Taiwan has been invited to RIMPAC is positive, as would be exercises with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and in the Malabar exercises hosted by India.

Chinese incursions into Taiwan have occurred almost daily as the CCP increased military pressure on the self-ruled island.

President Joe Biden committed to defending Taiwan if the self-ruled island was attacked by China.

The CCP has never ruled Taiwan before but views the self-ruled democracy as part of its territory to be taken by force if necessary.

The hotline was established to link the leadership of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) at the nation’s defense ministry with Chinese defense ministry officials.

Beijing consistently claims self-ruling Taiwan as part of its own territory and has never renounced using force to bring the island under its control.

Tensions between self-ruled Taiwan and Beijing have been escalating, with China making its recent largest incursion into Taiwan's air defense zone on May 6 with fighter jets and bombers.

Tsai said mounting pressure from China for Taiwan to accept a "one country, two systems model" and its attempts to alter the cross-strait's status quo underscored the need for Taiwan to "increase our self-defense and deterrence capabilities."

Speaking at a forum in Taipei, Taiwan, on Dec. 15, Yu said, “Protecting Taiwan is an act of altruism—and also a necessity rooted in self-interest.”

His comments came weeks after Beijing deployed a record number of aircraft into Taiwan's air defense zone, prompting sharp protest from the self-ruled island and the United States.

The TRA authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense, and set up a nonprofit corporation called the American Institute in Taiwan, which is now the de-facto U.S. embassy on the island.

Former Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Air Support Commander Orita Kunio predicted that in a recent interview that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could come as early as 2020.

PLA Naval Envelopment The Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JASDF) have reported PLA Naval deployments between Japan and Taiwan into the western Pacific. These trends are depicted by the most recent Japanese Defense White Paper (2021).

in Global Times adding explicitly that military bases in Japan would be hit if Japan’s Self Defense Forces become involved in a Taiwan contingency.

–Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty.

(@MoNDefense) April 12, 2022 Taiwan launched the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency last December as part of its efforts to boost the reservists' capabilities in the event of war.

Under TRA, the United States has supplied Taiwan with arms and military equipment for its self-defense, much to the ire of Beijing.