Responding to Chinese Pressure
A Comparative Analysis of Military Spending in Taiwan and Japan
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.18192/politika.7787Mots-clés :
Taiwan, Japon, dépenses militaires, menace chinoise, alliance de sécurité, pacifisme, polarisation politiqueRésumé
Cet article examine les dépenses militaires de Taïwan et du Japon suite à l’intensification des pressions économiques, politiques et militaires de la Chine depuis 2012. Taïwan et le Japon, deux démocraties économiquement développées, étroitement alignées sur les États-Unis et dépendantes de ceux-ci, ont réagi différemment à l’accroissement de la pression chinoise, comme en témoignent leurs dépenses militaires. Via une analyse comparative de la nature de la menace chinoise à laquelle chacun est confronté, de l’alliance sécuritaire qu’il entretient avec les États-Unis, de son historique en matière de défense, ainsi que de la polarisation politique de sa politique intérieure, cet article explique pourquoi les dépenses militaires par habitant de Taïwan ont constamment dépassé celles du Japon depuis 2012. Grâce à cette analyse, ce travail conclut que les dépenses militaires plus élevées de Taïwan s’expliquent par la nature existentielle de la menace à laquelle il fait face, l’absence d’un accord de sécurité formel avec les États-Unis, un fort engagement historique envers l’autodéfense ainsi qu’un paysage politique intérieur fortement polarisé en ce qui concerne les relations avec la Chine. Les conclusions de ce travail démontrent que des facteurs à la fois politiques et historiques contribuent de manière significative aux chiffres et aux tendances contemporains des dépenses militaires à Taïwan et au Japon et permettent de les expliquer. Comprendre le contexte plus large des réponses de Taïwan et du Japon en matière de dépenses militaires est pertinent aujourd’hui, puisque la Chine continue de faire pression et de créer des tensions militaires avec ces pays.
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© Julian Lammel 2026
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