Fortunately the Chinese still have a qualitative gap that hasn’t been closed for now. I think ultimately what will have to happen is Japan will have to be allowed to re-arm and expand its navy.
Yep, not to mention that China is quite lacking in the experience department. They haven’t fought a real war in almost 70 years.
Japan needs to rapidly follow de Gaulle’s force de frappe lead. de Gaulle did not trust the American guarantee. He questioned whether an American president would go total commitment and kill 100 million Americans to save Paris. The American guarantees in the Pacific could not be more hollow. Japan needs a credible nuclear retaliatory capability with a Japanese finger on the button of these Japanese missiles. Nothing else will deter a 21st century China.
“qualitative gap” is fantasticly descriptive - I was just going to say, yeah but their ships are “made in China”