Although "pro-ROC" and "pro-Taiwan" are strictly distinguished today, "pro-Taiwan" meant "pro-ROC" in the period of the KMT one-party system before Taiwan was democratized. At the time, Japanese conservatives generally had figures in favor of the Taiwanese government led by Chiang Kai-shek in an anti-communist stance. Some former Japanese imperial army soldiers became military advisers to the Republic of China Armed Forces (See 白団);[1] In October 1949, when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) attempted to invade Kinmen, Hiroshi Nemoto and others from the former Japanese army operated and defeated the PLA.[1]
With the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Japan was forced to recognize only one of the governments of Taiwan (ROC) and China (PRC). The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 greatly worsened the relationship between the PRC and the United States, and Japan chose Taiwan in 1952 to sign the Treaty of Taipei. At that time, Japan was friendly to the Chiang Kai-shek regime because many people respected the generous post-war measures of the Chiang government in mainland ROC right after Japan surrendered. In 1972, Japan established diplomatic relations with China (PRC) and severed ties with Taiwan, but Japan continued [unofficially] friendly relations with Taiwan. In the 21st century, pro-Taiwan factors in Japan mainly advocate "value diplomacy" (価値観外交), which focuses on the fact that they see Taiwan as a country that shares liberal democracy like Japan, unlike China, an authoritarianism.
Shintaro Ishihara said on May 20, 2000, when he was visiting to attend the inauguration of President Chen Shui-bian, who is serving as governor of Tokyo: "I think one China, one Taiwan is good" (私は一つの中国。一つの台湾で良いと思う).[2]
On June 28, 2021, Yasuhide Nakayama, a State Minister of Defense, said in a lecture at the Hudson Institute, "people say we are like friends, but we are not, we are family", referring to Taiwan as "country".[3][4]
↑"Tsai speech should resonate in Prague". Taipei Times. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024. The pro-Taiwan Czech Pirate Party quit the ruling coalition after significant losses in the regional elections.
