Japan's 2026 Defense White Paper Reveals Gray-Zone Blockade Plans for Taiwan

Expert analysis of the white paper details a script for a Chinese gray-zone blockade of Taiwan, distinguishing between 'blockade for war' and 'blockade for blockade's sake'. Highlights Japan's assessment of PLA capabilities and its own defensive posture. The white paper also introduces a new economic justification for defense spending. New analysis (article 3) adds that Japan's southwest defense deployment is primarily for self-defense, and whether Japan would intervene in a Taiwan contingency is a political decision, not a military capability question—challenging assumptions of automatic Japanese support.