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China's Voice: Stay Alert to Japan's Defense White Paper

Editor: Li Kun 丨CCTV.com

07-26-2016 15:42 BJT

By Han Xudong, Center for Applied Strategy Learning, National Defense University
   
Japan's 2016 Defense White Paper is set for discussion at Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet meeting in early August. According to an introduction of the White Paper released by Kyodo news service on July 21, China's normal marine activities are listed as one of its key topics.

The Defense White Paper serves as the official report for guiding how a country sets government's expectations for defense. Since Japan's constitution has forbidden the formation of a traditional army force, the annual report is called a self-defense white paper.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense releases it annually as a public statement on military policies, introducing Japan's position on concerned issues. The Self-Defense White Paper released this year has shown the following features.

Criticism of China as a major topic

By criticizing Beijing repeatedly each year, Abe's government is demonstrating Tokyo's support for its American alliance, by treating China as a threatening "target" to favor Washington's Pivot to Asia strategy.

Abe is also attempting to give a false impression of the "China threat" to exercise Japan's right of "collective self-defense" and to revise the nation's pacifist constitution.

Highlighting China's threat in South China Sea and East China Sea
  
Japan has been exaggerating alleged neighboring threats in the Defense White Paper, claiming more threats would come from neighboring countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The basic goal of such an act is to make the Japanese believe that Japan's security can be assured only by extending the coverage of Japan's self-defense forces.

The Abe government is sparking tensions in the South China Sea and East China Sea to bring about a significant impact on Japan's interests. By stirring up the situation of the two areas, the Japanese government wants to weaken domestic obstacles for deploying self-defense forces outside of Japan.

Emphasizing the right to collective self-defense with legal support

It is forbidden in Japan's Constitution to exercise the collective self-defense and prevents Japan's self-defense forces from playing a role at the international level. Abe's political goal is to transform Japan into a normal country with the right of an army, as well as having more international power. Abe seeks to amend the Constitution and delete the restriction clause from a legal perspective.
   
As the instigator and defeated country of World War II in the Asian Pacific region, Japan stands unwilling to draw any lessons from its military aggressiveness in the war, but instead trying to develop its armed forces and extend military influence to break away from restrictions of the Constitution.

The new Defense White Paper adds weight to Abe's strategy of stirring up the security situation in the Asian Pacific region, which should alert people of the world who love peace.

 

( The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com. )

 

 

Panview offers a new window of understanding the world as well as China through the views, opinions, and analysis of experts. We also welcome outside submissions, so feel free to send in your own editorials to "globalopinion@vip.cntv.cn" for consideration.

Panview offers an alternative angle on China and the rest of the world through the analyses and opinions of experts. We also welcome outside submissions, so feel free to send in your own editorials to "globalopinion@vip.cntv.cn" for consideration.

 

 

 

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