From January 7 to 9, 2026, Mariia Makarovych, Head of the East Asia Office of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine (LDLU), paid a working visit to Naha, the administrative center of Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture. The visit was conducted with the participation of Andrii Nazarenko, a Japanese civic activist of Ukrainian origin and an expert on Japan’s domestic and foreign policy.
Okinawa (the Ryukyu Archipelago) is one of the key security hubs in East Asia and a critical element of the First Island Chain. The role of the archipelago is directly linked to Taiwan’s security and the U.S. military presence in the region. At the same time, Okinawa is facing increasing political, informational, and economic pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In particular, Beijing has intensified propaganda narratives about so-called “Chinese rights” to the archipelago, referring to the historical legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
The visit of an LDLU representative to Okinawa was unprecedented for Ukrainian civil society. Its key objective was to demonstrate to partners in East Asia that Ukraine is a global democracy that not only receives support, but is also capable of understanding and sharing the region’s security concerns.
The visit program included, in particular:
Meeting and interview with Bogie Tedokon and Yosuke Jumonji (Okinawa FM21)
A significant part of the discussion focused on Okinawa’s role in regional security, including potential scenarios for the defense of Taiwan, as well as the importance of the U.S. military presence as a key deterrent to the PRC. In this context, special emphasis was placed on the relevance of sharing Ukraine’s military and defense experience to support security in East Asia.
Another topic of discussion was public attitudes in Okinawa toward U.S. military bases. It was noted that anti-war and anti-American protests do exist; however, they are typically organized by a small group of activists that does not represent the views of the majority. By contrast, a clear indicator of public sentiment is the annual U.S. Armed Forces festival (America Fest), which attracts more than 50,000 participants.
Finally, particular attention was paid to the PRC’s influence on Okinawa, including information campaigns, economic pressure, investments in business and real estate, and the acquisition of land near U.S. military facilities. The negative role of certain local politicians was also mentioned, particularly those who prioritize Chinese tourist flows while simultaneously tolerating anti-American narratives.
Meeting with Hidetoshi Ishii — a political expert specializing in autocratic threats in the Indo-Pacific
The discussion focused on the situation of oppressed peoples in Hong Kong, Tibet, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolia, and other ethnic communities subjected to systematic pressure by the PRC. These issues were compared with the terror and neo-colonial practices of the Russian Federation, which receives systematic support from Beijing for conducting external aggression.
Despite the fact that Japanese society increasingly perceives the PRC as a direct security threat, awareness of the scale of Russian aggression remains limited. In this context, it was emphasized that Chinese and Russian imperialism should be viewed as a single regional and global threat.
The LDLU team will continue its work in the region and further strengthen exchanges within the Ukraine–Japan–Taiwan security triangle, which is critically important against the backdrop of deepening allied relations between the Russian Federation, the PRC, and North Korea.
The visit was carried out as part of the project “Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific: Institutional Bridges,” implemented with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.
