The Role of the U.S. and Japan in the China-Taiwan Relationship

The Japan-America Society of Hawaii was honored to host a Zoom webinar panel discussion on “The Role of the U.S. and Japan in the China-Taiwan Relationship.” Broadcast on June 3, 2021 via Zoom, our esteemed panelists were Major General (Ret.) Suzanne Vares-Lum (Owner, Vares-Lum Indo-Pacific Consulting, LLC) and Dr. John Hemmings (Associate Professor, Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies), with a special welcome by the Director of APCSS, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Peter Gumataotao. Our guest moderator was JASH Director Ms. Barbara Tanabe (Owner, Hoʻakea Communications, LLC).

Dr. Hemmings led the discussion with his presentation on the history and current status of the relationships between the U.S., Japan, China, and Taiwan. While the U.S.-Japan alliance has remained strong and continued to grow over the years, the increasing friction between China and Taiwan have leaders concerned over the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.

Major General Vares-Lum spoke on the history, present role, and vision of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), and shared about the individual and joint operations of USINDOPACOM and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Although the relationship between the U.S. and Japan is healthy and stable, Maj. Gen. Vares-Lum hopes to continue seeing increased cooperation throughout the entire Indo-Pacific region.

Maj. Gen. Vares-Lum and Dr. Hemmings concluded the program by fielding a variety of thoughtful questions from our moderator, Ms. Tanabe, as well as from program attendees. From cyber warfare to expansion into space, our panelists shared their research, experiences, and insights on various hot topics in global security.

Thank you to our esteemed panelists and moderator for hosting this highly informative and educational webinar.

From L: Ms. Barbara Tanabe, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Suzanne Vares-Lum, and Dr. John Hemmings answer your questions during the panel’s Q&A.