Taiwan/Japan under Chinese coercion; deterrence and administration legitimate

This position holds that Taiwan and Japan face genuine Chinese coercion, so deterrence, defence build-up and the legitimacy of their governments must be upheld. Its advocates describe Chinese military and grey-zone pressure around Taiwan, efforts to isolate the island diplomatically and united front activity as threats that call for readiness, and they see Japan's defence expansion as a deterrence response.

It is voiced by 74 outlets in the West and allied countries. It appears in disputes over the Taiwan Strait, military pressure around Taiwan, Taiwan's international space, Japan's role in the Taiwan question, Japan-China rivalry, the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands and wartime history.

It is answered by two positions: that Taiwan, the South China Sea and the Senkakus are Chinese territory and foreign interference is the provocation, and that Japan is reviving militarism behind a pacifist facade. The sides part on whether Chinese activity is coercion or lawful enforcement of sovereignty. Recent events show Taiwan's annual war games and a planned record defence budget, Chinese coast guard patrols east of Taiwan that Beijing calls routine law enforcement, Chinese protests over Yasukuni Shrine visits, and export controls on Japanese companies.