JAPANESE State Minister of Defense Toshiro Ino recently said in an interview with British media that if the Chinese mainland was to use force against Taiwan, Japan would likely 'provide some kind of support' to Taiwan. He also said he was not sure 'whether it is going to be defense equipment support or whether it is going to be logistics support.'

These remarks, coming from a current senior Japanese official, carry a provocative undertone. What does this mean? Does Japan intend to openly intervene in cross-Strait affairs? Is this his personal opinion, or does it represent Japan's official stance? The Japanese side needs to provide an explanation to China regarding this matter.