Jan 30, 2023
China's territorial claims to Japan's close neighbor Taiwan has spurred Japan to build up its defense forces. As part of that defensive buildup, there is now talk of using nuclear weapons to defend against China, which does have nuclear weapons. Whether Japan would develop its own, ask the US to use its nukes or some other option remains an open question. In this episode of China Unscripted, we look at Japan's desire for nuclear weapons, the significance of the disputed Senkaku islands, how stable the US-Japan relationship really is, and why China could invade Taiwan any day now. Joining us in this episode is Dr. Robert Eldridge, an expert on Japan’s security and diplomacy and a senior researcher for the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo.