Posted on 12/16/2010 11:58:54 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Japan said Friday it would shift its defence focus from the Soviet Cold War threat to southern islands nearer China, labelling the military build-up of its giant neighbour a global "concern".
Aside from boosting its southern forces and submarine fleet and upgrading its fighter-jets, Japan will strengthen missile defences against the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, it said in a major strategic review.
The cabinet of officially pacifist Japan approved the National Defence Programme Guidelines months after a territorial row flared up with China and weeks after North Korea launched a deadly artillery strike against South Korea.
The new guidelines labelled North Korea -- which in recent years has fired missiles over Japan, staged two nuclear tests and last month unveiled a new uranium enrichment plant -- an "urgent, grave factor for instability".
Japan, like its ally the United States, also again voiced concern over China's recent military build-up and increased assertiveness in what it sees as its ancestral waters in the East China and South China seas.
"China is rapidly modernising its military force and expanding activities in its neighbouring waters," said the guidelines approved by Prime Minister Naoto Kan's cabinet on Friday.
"Together with the lack of transparency on China's military and security issues, the trend is a concern for the region and the international community," said the paper, which sets out strategic planning for the coming decade.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Recognizing the threat from China is quite significant. They have been ignoring it for far too long.
Strange that this would happen under the Kan administration, but then elements of the LDP have always been to cozy with the ChiComs.
“Strange that this would happen under the Kan administration, but then elements of the LDP have always been to cozy with the ChiComs.”
I don’t know japanese politics at all. I have observed how they operate in a few other countries (including the US). The chinese are not stupid in this game, they financially co-opt the dominant party in every country they care to. Between trade deals and presumably outright bribery, it is a pretty smart game.
Anyone wanting to disagree need only look at the US congress the last 15-years or so. Why didn’t the republicans initiate impeachment/major event stuff over the cox report? The chinese aren’t stupid enough to have only patronized/co-opted one party in a situation such as that of the US.
From a realpolitikal perspective, you have to admire them. It bodes ill for my future and that of my children, though.
Oh, you’re definitely right on the money about their ability to co-opt the dominant politicians. Not that it’s very hard to do because the LDP has been so institutionally corrupt for so long, that they never needed much seducing.
Plus there are the same reasons for keeping useless bases open in Japan as we are all familiar with. Among other things, those bases support local economies and thus votes.
Despite the fact that the ground threat against Japan (from Hokkaido south, that is) is pretty much nil these days, that’s where too much of their firepower is concentrated. It’s way past time that Japan officially and openly recognizes that their primary security concern emanates from Beijing and not Moscow.
Hmmm, personally, I would have made this “shift” around 1991, but better late than never, I guess.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.