Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Japan’s growing geopolitical importance will be showcased in the coming days as the country hosts the US secretaries of state and defense on Monday next week, and helps convene a reported Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) meeting of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden.

Next week’s visit by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Tokyo will be the first major overseas trip of the key officials. Their destination — where they are to meet for so-called “two plus two” talks with Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi and Japanese Minister of Defense Nobuo Kishi — reflects growing US concerns about the challenge posed by a rising China, and North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

This year is the 10th anniversary of Japan’s Great Tohoku Earthquake and the ensuing Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster. It is also a crucial year for Taiwan, one that could see the nation bidding farewell to nuclear power and marching in the direction of a “nuclear-free homeland.” A national referendum is to take place on Aug. 28 to decide the future of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮).

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan led to the failure of four reactor cores and gas explosions at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, causing a large amount of radioactive material to leak. The Japanese government ordered the emergency evacuation of about 140,000 residents living within a 20km radius.