PM Takaichi says Japan could join U.S. on Taiwan rescue operations

TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has suggested Japan could join the United States in rescuing its nationals from Taiwan in a contingency, drawing anger from China and likely to worsen an ongoing row between the two countries.

The comments, made in a televised debate Monday night ahead of Japan's Feb. 8 general election, come as Tokyo-Beijing relations have been strained since Takaichi told parliament in November that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, potentially involving its Self-Defense Forces.