Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has controversially suggested his country should consider allowing the US to base nuclear weapons in his country, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He made the remarks while discussing the impact of the Ukraine crisis during a television interview.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has drawn immediate parallels in Japan with a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan or takeover of Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea.

The BBC's Tokyo correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes says that politically this is one of Japan’s biggest taboos. Since World War Two, Japan has committed to never possessing, producing or deploying nuclear weapons on its territory.

Mr Abe also said he believes the US should make it clear to China that it will defend Taiwan if Beijing attacks the island.

BBC