Taiwanese political scholar Lai Yueqian recently sparked widespread attention by commenting on the international situation, stating that ‘Japan is not yet qualified to sit at the table.’ By ‘sitting at the table,’ he refers to possessing genuine influence and decision-making power in the global strategic order. Lai argues that despite Japan being the world’s third-largest economy with advanced technology and military potential, its foreign policy remains heavily constrained by the United States, lacking strategic autonomy. On critical issues such as Asia-Pacific security and U.S.-China strategic competition, Japan often plays a supporting role rather than shaping agendas or offering globally influential initiatives. Furthermore, Japan’s stance on historical issues continues to undermine trust among its Asian neighbors, limiting its ability to act as a core architect of regional order. According to Lai, truly ‘earning a seat at the table’ requires not only economic and military strength but also strategic independence, moral legitimacy, and regional leadership—qualities he believes Japan currently lacks. In his view, Japan remains an invited observer rather than a principal participant. While controversial, his remarks reflect a realist assessment held by some scholars regarding Japan’s international role.
台湾政治学者赖岳谦近日在评论国际局势时指出：‘日本还不够资格上桌’，此言引发广泛关注。他所指的‘上桌’，意指在全球战略格局中拥有真正的话语权与决策影响力。赖岳谦认为，尽管日本是世界第三大经济体、拥有先进科技与军事潜力，但其外交政策长期受制于美国，缺乏独立自主的战略判断能力。尤其在涉及亚太安全、中美博弈等关键议题上，日本往往只能扮演配角，难以主导议程或提出具有全球影响力的倡议。此外，日本在历史问题上的态度也限制了其在亚洲邻国中的政治信任度，使其难以成为区域秩序的核心构建者。赖岳谦强调，真正的‘上桌’不仅需要经济与军事实力，更需具备战略自主性、道德正当性及区域领导力。在他看来，日本目前仍处于‘受邀旁听’而非‘主位就座’的地位。此番言论虽具争议，但也反映了部分学者对日本国际角色的现实评估。
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