Citing the US alliance with Japan, and amid the rising tensions in the region, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that Japan and the United States could not stand by if China attacked Taiwan.

Tensions over Taiwan have risen amid continuous US pressures and interventions, with the Chinese President Xi Jinping pursuing reincorporating Taiwan and asserting his country's sovereignty over it. 

In its turn, Taiwan's government, armed with full US support, claims it wants peace, but will defend itself if needed.

In a virtual meeting organized by the Taiwanese Institute for National Policy Research, Abe noted that the Diaoyu Islands, Sakishima Islands, and Yonaguni Island are only 100 kilometers or so away from Taiwan.

"A Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency, and therefore an emergency for the Japan-US alliance,” he said, issuing a warning to China.

"A stronger Taiwan, a thriving Taiwan, and a Taiwan that guarantees freedom and human rights are also in Japan's interests. Of course, this is also in the interests of the whole world," Abe claimed.

It is worth noting that Japan hosts major US military bases, which constitute a constant threat to the region. 

However, the United States claims it is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to “defend itself”, without clarifying whether it would send forces to Taiwan in case a war breaks out.

On his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned last month that the United States and its allies would take unspecified "action" if China were to use force to alter the status quo over Taiwan, despite continuous US claims of non-interference.