Akie Abe, widow of slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said Saturday that Taiwan’s security is directly tied to Japan’s, offering her view on remarks made by her late husband about the self-ruled democratic island.
“What he truly meant was, if Taiwan is safe, then Japan is safe,” Akie Abe said in a speech at a symposium in Taiwan on security in the Indo-Pacific region. Her husband said in December 2021, during a virtual appearance at a Taiwan think-thank event, “A Taiwan contingency is a contingency for Japan,” a remark now widely known in Taiwan.
In Japan, when people care deeply about someone important, they wish them peace and safety, according to Akie Abe.
“I think my husband wanted to offer this heartfelt wish to the people of Taiwan, whom he dearly loved because Taiwan’s peace and safety were closely connected to himself and to Japan,” she said.
Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was assassinated by a lone gunman during an election campaign speech in July 2022.
Abe remained friendly toward Taiwan even after stepping down as prime minister in 2020 due to health issues.
China regards Taiwan as a part of its territory.
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