Japan on Guard for Any Regional Crisis, Defense Chief Says

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tokyo is on guard for any potential security crisis in the region, while reiterating that the government’s stance on possible conflict over Taiwan hasn’t changed.

The Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces will carry out their duties “while closely monitoring the situation,” Koizumi said during a visit to the southern island of Ishigaki, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) east of Taiwan.