Military officials from Saudi Arabia visit Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' booth at the Maritime Air Systems and Technologies Asia (MAST) show in Chiba on Monday. Photo: Reuters
politics

Arms show offers Japan venue to build military ties in Southeast Asia

22 Comments
By Tim Kelly and Nobuhiro Kubo

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So here we are. Abe and co rattle sabres and say Japan needs to protect itself against aggression from N Korea and China, but it's really all about money. Make the public fear foreign aggression, so we can have an excuse to build more weapons, then sell them abroad. It's win win for Abe and his cronies in the military business.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Reuters doing arms dealers' PR job for free.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

"The small Southeast Asian arms market is growing as economic growth boosts defense spending. Japan is likely push to back against China's offers to supply military equipment to the region."

Why would China sell its weapons to SE Asian countries to be used against China?

That doesn't make sense!

To propose that Japan should seek to compete against China is blatantly incorrect.

Abe has been working overtime politically to drive wedges that Japan Inc can now exploit.

What a player......

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Yeah! We need more arms, to deal with more arms! Same industry feeding both sides, and creating a pseudo need of "Defense" expense. At present day, no one can stop arms industry.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

That blue spoke-like symbol, undoubtedly the symbol of the military-industro-politico meet in Tokyo, is uncannily similar to the Anti-Vietnam War Moratorium symbol printed on 1,000s of badges, posters, jackets, bags etc.

Australia was splashed with this motif for years.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

At first I thought they were standing next to an 'air hockey' game :)

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"MulanToday03:56 am JST

To say that China is militarizing South China Sea is to say that Japan is militarizing Tokyo.

China installs military equipment on her own territory of South China Sea is legally correct thing, for Japan to militarize or help others to militarize on Chinese territory is illegal invasion, an act of war, a crime against peace."

China's claim to the South China Sea has been deemed illegal by the PCA ruling. Not only does China behave in a rogue manner by disregarding and not complying with the ruling they are militarizing artificial islands which have no right or purpose to be doing, other than to expand it's territory. China's actions are an illegal act, a crime against peace and so recognized by the entire world, other than China.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The idea of Japan being competitive is bizarre to say the least, the basic armament of a solider is a 1980s heavy round with no optics, China uses a light bull pup design as does France, England, Austria, Australia, NZ, Germany intergrated optics, America intergrated optics, Japan is still focused on the bayonet the only country to put a bayonet lug on a heavy machine gun. And that's basic weapons, The Japanese version of the F-16 reduced the wing area making its payload small.

It really is easy to have a modern and cutting edge defence force but that's beyond the mental agility of the beauracracts who control the budget.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

none of the arrows worked, so let's sell weapons. great idea except China can make them better and cheaper.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

"great idea except China can make them better and cheaper."

Cheaper for sure, but better? You generally get what you pay for. Although some also over charge for incompetence.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Ah, the arms trade. One of the biggest, most profitable industries there is.

Article 9 sold for peanuts and a ticket to a warlord trade show

Oh yes. No room for sentimentality and electoral concerns, here. One of the more peculiar sights of yesteryear was Prince Andrew being diplomatically led away (at an arms fair in the lead up to the invasion of Iraq) in case he bumped into the Iraqi delegation!

This region has seen the horrors of war up close. Does Japan (and the other players) really need to engage in this sabre rattling?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"mulanJune 1310:21 am JST

PCA never ruled that China's claim is illegal. It has no jurisdiction over sovereignty. Japan also rejected a lot of international rulings, some of them are actually allowed by the laws. It is perfect for China to reject PCA. No one says China's action is illegal, even Abe never said that."

You are again citing complete falsehoods. One that China's SCS claims are not illegal, and Two that Japan has ignored international rulings.

https://pca-cpa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/175/2016/07/PH-CN-20160712-Press-Release-No-11-English.pdf

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Article 9 sold for peanuts and a ticket to a warlord trade show

0 ( +4 / -4 )

"...Abe's government wants to make arms sales and military technology collaboration a new plank of Japanese diplomacy in Southeast Asia..."

What sort of diplomacy would that be exactly? Gunboat diplomacy perhaps?

Because the best kind of regional cooperation is made at then end of a barrel of a gun? Jeesh! Really? By now I would have hoped that if Japan was serious about reproachment with its Asian neighbours then it would have done it a little more subtly than hold an arms show and say to the world that the best way to do business is to trade in arms!

What with all the proposed changes to Article 9 in the pipe line and now this, I worry that we are simply starting to repeat history here and that it simply wont end well!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Cricky

the basic armament of a solider is a 1980s heavy round

And the US military still uses M-16 variants. American M-3 heavy machine guns are of World War II vintage. So? 

The Japanese version of the F-16

F-16 was never in use by Japan. F-15 is. Its Japanese version has some limitations (no air refueling capability, for example), but it is a deliberate choice in order to make them more "defensive", not because it is "beyond the mental agility of the bureaucrats who control the budget".

@blackbagger

Abe and co rattle sabres and say Japan needs to protect itself against aggression from N Korea and China

Abe does not need to rattle sabres. North Korea with its missile launches and China with its activity in South China Sea and near Senkaku do it perfectly well.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"mulanJune 1210:33 pm JST

"Abe's government wants to make arms sales and military technology collaboration a new plank of Japanese diplomacy in Southeast Asia as it counters China's growing influence in the South China Sea."

Clear evidence of China's unilateral military and territorial expansion having isolated Southeast Asian countries away from China.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"CrickyJune 1207:58 am JST

The idea of Japan being competitive is bizarre to say the least, the basic armament of a solider is a 1980s heavy round ,,,,"

The stardard issue rifle is the Howa 89 which is a Stoner (M-16) design and uses the NATO 5.56. So what "heavy round" are you talking about? 7.76 NATO is used by US and allies as a Sniper Round.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

nice hats, got to get me one.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

To say that China is militarizing South China Sea is to say that Japan is militarizing Tokyo.

China installs military equipment on her own territory of South China Sea is legally correct thing, for Japan to militarize or help others to militarize on Chinese territory is illegal invasion, an act of war, a crime against peace.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

"Abe's government wants to make arms sales and military technology collaboration a new plank of Japanese diplomacy in Southeast Asia as it counters China's growing influence in the South China Sea."

Clear evidence of Abe's anti-China policy, in written, by the press.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

PCA never ruled that China's claim is illegal. It has no jurisdiction over sovereignty. Japan also rejected a lot of international rulings, some of them are actually allowed by the laws. It is perfect for China to reject PCA. No one says China's action is illegal, even Abe never said that.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Is it illegal for Japan to have own military industry?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

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