Can three words threaten the stability of East Asia? Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has triggered the region’s biggest diplomatic crisis in years by labelling a potential conflict in Taiwan a “Survival-Threatening Situation.” While she argues that protecting the Taiwan Strait is vital for Japan’s semiconductor supply chains and energy routes, China is already retaliating by freezing cultural exchanges and raising the issue with the United Nations. In this video, we analyse the potential impact of the diplomatic fallout between Japan and China over Taiwan. We explore why Takaichi is doubling down on defending Taiwan despite China’s dominance over Japan’s trade and rare earth supply chains. We also explore the geopolitical importance of Taiwan to Japan.