Taiwan and Japan are moving to lock their chip industries together as a shield against Chinese pressure — good news for both supply chains, bad news for Beijing's leverage.

• Former Japanese army chief Kiyofumi Iwata called the two sides' chip relationship one neither can survive without: Japan's cars, appliances and military gear need Taiwan's advanced chips, and Taiwan's factories need Japanese materials and equipment.
• Instead of fighter jets or missiles, defense cooperation should start with dual-use parts and materials — less likely to provoke a political fight with China, but still makes both countries' military parts compatible.
• China already hit Japan with export controls on dual-use goods after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi discussed a Taiwan crisis in parliament, which shows Beijing now treats Taiwan and Japan as one target.
• Japan's westernmost island sits barely 110 km from Taiwan, and if China controlled Taiwan, shipping and energy routes for Japan, Taiwan and South Korea would all be at Beijing's mercy.
• Other speakers at the Taipei forum warned that letting China lead in AI would be devastating for democracies, and urged new tech and security arrangements with Southeast Asian countries.

Outlook: Expect Taipei and Tokyo to deepen quiet cooperation on components and materials while Japan keeps drawing up contingency plans for a Taiwan conflict.