The Globalist – China-Japan Tensions: Why the US is Backing Japan

Monocle Radio | Aired December 11, 2025 | Hosted by Chris Chermak

Episode Overview

This edition of The Globalist centers on escalating tensions in East Asia, particularly a military standoff between China and Japan after a Chinese carrier allegedly locked radars on Japanese fighter jets. The episode explores why the US is backing Japan, Russia’s role in regional maneuvers, and how these developments fit into broader geopolitical shifts. Guests Tomohiko Taniguchi (former special adviser to the cabinet of Shinzo Abe) and Isabel Hilton (China Dialogue founder and visiting professor at King’s College London) provide insight into the historical and contemporary dynamics at play. The show then transitions to other prominent international stories, European perspectives, and a cultural spotlight on Italian cuisine's UNESCO designation.

Key Segments and Insights

1. Escalation in Asia: China, Japan, and the US [02:55–12:40]

Setting the Scene

• Incident: Chinese aircraft carrier allegedly locks radar on two Japanese fighter jets, twice in 30 minutes.
• Japan summons Chinese ambassador; Beijing denies claims, arguing its carrier was harassed.
• US and Japanese military respond with their own show of force.
• Broader context of joint Russia–China military exercises.

Expert Analysis

Tomohiko Taniguchi:

• Recollection of 2005 anti-Japan protests in China as a benchmark for comparison:

  “The escalation you are citing now... is not so much serious in my own eyes.” (03:59)

• Perceives the current situation as significant but not unprecedented.

Isabel Hilton:

• Describes the environment as “dangerous games to play,” driven by both growing Chinese military assertiveness and Japan’s shift away from a purely pacifist constitution.
• Highlights historical wounds from WWII; European-style reconciliation never occurred in East Asia, fueling cycles of nationalism.

  “Japan is an absolutely standard target for China... atrocities committed have been memorialized relentlessly. So it's easy to trigger this kind of thing and it's quite dangerous.” (05:11)

The US Role and Japanese Position

Tomohiko Taniguchi:

• Notes the Trump administration’s caution in handling China before the planned Xi–Trump summit.

• US involvement—a calibrated signal, marking a red line for China to heed.

  “The fact that the United States stepped in even in a restrained manner reflects Washington's judgment that China's growing overconfidence could cause real damage to the US–Japan military alliance. In effect, they gently signaled that this is where the red line temporarily lies.” (07:12)

• On Japan’s legal and policy stance regarding Taiwan and US support:

  “The Prime Minister merely pointed to that provision while citing the law itself. To retreat from that position would be to repudiate the very meaning of the statute, which I think is simply not an option.” (08:21)

Isabel Hilton:

• Emphasizes that Taiwan remains the most significant flashpoint, but China continues to press on other territorial disputes.
• On Japan’s recent diplomatic language:

  “Saying the quiet bit out loud, the diplomatic action—or a non-diplomatic action in this case... was bound to trigger a very strong response. And it has.” (09:29)

Japan’s Military and Policy Evolution

Tomohiko Taniguchi:

• Japan accelerating defense spending in face of Chinese assertiveness:

  "The target of 2%... is going to be fulfilled sooner than planned, but it's not sufficient... Weakness provokes more threat, weakness provokes more intimidations, if you like, from China." (10:57–11:39)

• Japan investing in “anti-long-range missile capacities”—including US-made Tomahawks capable of striking deep inside China. (12:06)

2. US Politics: Miami Mayoral Election and National Trends [13:28–21:52]

Guest: Mark Adelman (Democratic campaign consultant)

• Discusses historic election of first Democratic mayor in Miami in 28 years.
• Explores the shifting political landscape in Florida and among Latino voters.
• Economic anxieties dominate—“affordability” front and center in political narrative.

  “Affordability is definitely the Las Vegas neon sign that's flashing... What Americans feel across the board right now is things are more expensive... Tariffs... are making things more expensive.” (18:44)

• Critiques Trump’s attempts to minimize economic concerns, stating voters increasingly hold him accountable as the sitting president.

3. World News and Views [23:06–32:23]

With Nina Dos Santos (International Correspondent)

• Venezuela: Opposition leader Maria Corinna Machado flees to Norway after Nobel Peace Prize recognition; US Coast Guard seizes oil tanker suspected of violating sanctions. Trump’s offhand comment—“we’ll keep it, I guess” (25:31)—sparks debate over US foreign policy motives and oil.
• Europe-US Relations: NYT op-ed (Christopher Caldwell) defends Trump’s national security strategy as a “wake-up call” for Europe, provoking debate over NATO and European identity.

4. Other Headlines [32:23–34:25]

• Russia claims major Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow region.
• Honduran congressional body refuses to recognize election results, citing US (Trump) interference.

5. Spotlight: Belgrade’s Metro Promise [34:25–36:59]

Guest: Guy Delaunay (Balkans correspondent)

• Belgrade plans, once again, to build its first metro—by 2030, with a billion-euro contract.
• Civic pride and public skepticism abound—many see current plans benefitting well-connected developers rather than public need.

6. Tech News: Australia’s Social Media Ban for Kids, UK–US Tech Ties, SpaceX IPO [37:26–44:00]

Guest: Isabel Hamilton (UK Tech Editor, Politico)

• Australia: Under-16 social media ban circumvented by tech-savvy youth; European countries are watching policy outcomes.
• UK–US Tech Diplomacy: UK officials court Silicon Valley alongside fraught trade negotiations.
• SpaceX IPO: Elon Musk reportedly preparing to take SpaceX public—a move that could make him the world’s first trillionaire. IPO would reveal company details long shielded from public view.

7. Italian Cuisine Gets UNESCO Status [44:50–52:22]

Guests: Chiara Mella (Confect deputy editor) and Anita Riotta (Monocle Radio producer)

• UNESCO designates Italian cuisine as Intangible Cultural Heritage—first national cuisine so recognized.
• Chiara Mella: “Food isn't just like a thing that you eat in Italy. It's the fabric that keeps everything together.” (45:38)
• Panel discusses intergenerational food culture, the role of national identity, and potential tourism implications.
• Anita Riotta: Suggests the designation reflects global romanticization of Italian food as much as authentic Italian identity.

8. Europe’s Space Ambitions Take Flight [52:22–58:41]

Guest: Tira Schubart (Royal Astronomical Society Fellow)

• European Space Agency (ESA) launches new €22 billion plan, including its first major military communications program.
• Aims: boost independent satellite, navigation, and communication capabilities, citing reduced US (NASA) cooperation.
• Key projects: “Rosalind Franklin” Mars rover (hunting for life on Mars), future mission to Saturn’s moon Enceladus in search of biology.

  "If you're a betting man, I'd put a pound or two on a couple of moons of Saturn and maybe Jupiter." (57:04)

• Cooperation between the US and Europe could resume, depending on US domestic politics after next presidential elections.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Tomohiko Taniguchi on escalation not being new:

  “The escalation... is not so much serious in my own eyes.” (03:59)

• Isabel Hilton on national memory in Asia:

  “Japan is an absolutely standard target for China... it's easy to trigger this kind of thing and it's quite dangerous.” (05:11)

• Tomohiko Taniguchi on US signaling:

  “They gently signaled that this is where the red line temporarily lies.” (07:12)

• Mark Adelman on US economic mood:

  “Affordability is definitely the Las Vegas neon sign that's flashing... what Americans feel is things are more expensive.” (18:44)

• Chiara Mella on food and Italian identity:

  “Food isn't just like a thing that you eat in Italy. It's the fabric that keeps everything together.” (45:38)

• Tira Schubart on the search for life:

  "If you're a betting man, I'd put a pound or two on a couple of moons of Saturn and maybe Jupiter." (57:04)

Conclusion

This episode provides a sweeping look at the latest Asia-Pacific security flashpoint, unraveling its deeper geopolitical, historical, and legal threads, while tracking America’s motivations for supporting Japan in this tense moment. The show skillfully shifts to pulse readings across US domestic politics, European reactions to US policy, shifting economic undercurrents, and distinctive cultural stories—from Belgrade’s elusive metro to the landmark honoring of Italian cuisine and Europe’s new ambitions in space.

For listeners wanting a comprehensive, on-the-minute primer on global affairs—peppered with expert insights and relatable, vivid moments—this episode of The Globalist delivers.