Chinese media slam Japan's move to expand military role

China accused Japan as a threat to peace in the region. Not too sure, who is a threat here. You have Chinese warships parade in South China Sea and East China Sea 24 hours days and set up oils rigs inside disputed water. What do you call this? Japan was defeated and humiliated 70 years ago. Since Japan has been a good citizen of the world. China should have leaved it that way, no you just want to push Japan into a corner and humiliate them even further. Common sense will provoke.

CristianSCL Jul. 03, 2014 - 04:15AM JST Those who keep useless opposition to a normal Japan are prople stuck in 1970s and 1980s when Japan economy was the biggest in Asia and US economy was over 40% of World GDP, so Japanese people feel safe and without worrying about their security. But, things have changed: US no longer will be able to protect Japan against China, because of its declining power in the World.

I agree. In a short time, U.S. will not be able to sustain a military that cost close to $700 billion dollar a year. In fact, U.S. will be reducing substantially of the military budget within five to ten years. Japan is adjusting and upgrading their military offense capability because U.S. capability in the Pacific will be reduced substantially in a next few decades.

OxycodinJul. 03, 2014 - 10:05PM JST well well, japan regaining its military power is a recipe for disaster as they do love to do sneaky attacks like peal >harbor and the rape of nanking. Japan should reconsider this as they would not want to repeat hiroshima and >nagasaki if they keep up with there military atrocities. ABE sorry is sick in the head. He trying so hard to be like >Obama the president who should be impeach for treason and tyranny.

Dumbest most thoughtless post ever. This is what China supporters are reduced to?

well well, japan regaining its military power is a recipe for disaster as they do love to do sneaky attacks like peal harbor and the rape of nanking. Japan should reconsider this as they would not want to repeat hiroshima and nagasaki if they keep up with there military atrocities. ABE sorry is sick in the head. He trying so hard to be like Obama the president who should be impeach for treason and tyranny.

Thunderbird2,

Yes, so you live in a democracy. Can Abe be voted out of power? Yes.

There are democracies and democracies. It's not Zimbabwe, but even the right wing Daily Yomiuri criticized Supreme Court inaction on the issue of voting malapportionment, in effect a form of gerrymandering, leading to "a 5.13-fold disparity in the weight of votes between the nation's most densely and most sparsely populated electoral districts." The former constituencies, coincidentally, have a lower propensity to vote LDP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Japan#Malapportionment

Are there armed soldiers on the streets? Do citizens go in fear of being lifted by secret police? No... so stop talking nonsense.

No, it's not the Northern Ireland of several years ago.

With Japan's 99% conviction rate, however, citizens do very much fear getting lifted by the police, who routinely a) name suspects in the media, causing social death, and b) hold suspects for up to 28 days, ensuring career death if a) hasn't caused it already. Most convictions are secured on a confession, not evidence. Furthermore those magistrates minded to acquit fear for their careers.

<http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20810572

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.1086/468111?uid=3738328&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103924106201

Oh and the free speech? If you mean the bill to outlaw the publication of state secrets... most countries have that.

Indeed they do, and the more respected among them have appropriate check and balances - see Strangerland's post above. As for the media, you can easily research NHK's recent partiality, and the unique, exclusionist and obsequious nature of Japan's press clubs.

T2, you're a big fan of Japan, and we love you for that. As you visit more (why not stay longer?), you'll discover that that there are freedoms and opportunities you enjoy in Scotland that don't exist here. The opposite applies too, of course, so do your own research, through your own lens. And keep posting!

The size of the military doesn't tell all. The Japanese navy is the second most powerful in the world, and it's backed by the first - and Japan is an island nation. It doesn't matter how big the Chinese army is if they can't get their troops here.

Looking at that graphic showing the huge discrepancy between the size of the Chinese military and the Japanese military, I don't blame Japan one bit. Even with the US, I think the odds are stacked against Japan if there was a conflict between the two countries. The gap will only widen as China increases it's military spending.

Also, Japan has a serious threat from Russia...Time for Free World to confront Tyrannical World

Let me guess, you got an American 'education', watching American TV everyday.

@bertie

Well, let's see.

Which would we choose?

Should be obvious, you are either for freedom and democracy or not. It's straight forward.

The totalitarian regime of China which throttles free speech and is blatantly undemocratic?

Or the totalitarian regime of USA-puppet Japan which, with Abe in charge, throttles free speech and says it's democratic, but isn't.

Of course Japan is Democratic. The US is NOT a totalitarian regime to even think so is completely ignorant. You have free speech, that's why you can say, do, go as you please. What is it that you want? This is not a flower nation. if you were in China, you can't even access Google, Facebook or other social network sites. It may be a little thing to you, but to millions of Chinese that once they leave China, so many say, they love the freedom the west has, that Japan or the US has. So if you do value freedom, YES, unfettered freedom without the restraints and shackles of communism around your neck, you would choose democratic and freedom.

At least China is honest about it.

So is the US, therefore you shouldn't have any problems with it.

＠kawesa

Make peace not war. The US is encouraging this arms race. This is the latest frontier of this cold war that has never ended

People who live in fantasyland are so funny!

Those who keep useless opposition to a normal Japan are prople stuck in 1970s and 1980s when Japan economy was the biggest in Asia and US economy was over 40% of World GDP, so Japanese people feel safe and without worrying about their security. But, things have changed: US no longer will be able to protect Japan against China, because of its declining power in the World. Also, Japan have a serious threat from Russia. So, when NATO European nations are divided regarding Ukraine and how to confront Russia, in the Asia-Pacific we have an US that want to limit Chinese assertiveness and attempts to change UNCLOS and World laws to favor just Chinese interests (not World's), but Washington is reluctant of seriously stop China's expansionism. Look at Philippines, they were counting on US support to protect Spratlys Islands, but they only received promises and NO action. Japan need to expand its military role to build military security structures between Island Nations across Asia to counter Chinese maritime expansionism. Japan should stablish military aliances with Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia and India. Also, Japan should stablish a full fledged alliance with NATO. Time for Free World to confront Tyrannical World who try to rebuild Totalitarian World we saw during Cold War (Stalinist USSR, and Maoist China). That's why you can see Russian media praising Soviet Union past while China stick to Maoist Nine Dashed Line Map and expansionist borders in Tibet, Uyguristan, Inner Mongolia and India. Time to confront Tyrannical-Totalitarian agenda and propaganda against Japan.

WoW, I won again. I told you Abe would get his way. Whoever said Japan is a democratic country should have his/her head examined. Don’t fool yourself thinking that Japan is now better because of this change. What happens to the “peaceful” Japan? You can say at least it’s lasted about 70 years. Really happy for you, now Japan is “normal” again. So, who will be in the first batch of people being sent to die for your beloved country? Hey, now they even have more reasons to go to Yasukuni Shrine because more war deads will be added.

China has in a matter of 4 years managed to accomplish what the United States has been unable to do in 54 years. And like the buffoons that they are, China complains about what can only be called the result of China's own behavior. Maybe this WWII nonsense works on your own subjugated people. But not in the countries, which unlike China, actually fought Japan in WWII.

Come on now. China and North Korea had been asking for this, between the sea captain from a few years ago, the fighter planes in Japanese sky territory, the argument for the islands and the fact that North Korea keeps launching nuclear missiles into the Japanese sea (and the threat that they might attack Japan), can you really blame Japan for wanting to rearm?

While I believe Japan should amend its constitution WRT military I also wish they had dealt with their WWII history MUCH better, not have a white washing PM etc, but alas here we are.

Combine that with a China off its frigging rocker creating all kinds of problem in the Far East & SE Asia, we are in for "interesting" times...................not necessarily good ones

SCAP65Jul. 02, 2014 - 10:34PM JST

“Which of you idiots stuck - signs on drakdogma's comments. What kind of fools are you people?! Do you ever read, or try and educate yourselves? He's dead on the money. There is zero need for military expansion for Japan. My guess is that all of these Japanese men (and it is men, not women) who get so excited about Japan arming up, are probably impotent, as in unable to get an erection. You are sexually neutered and as a result try and make up for it for fantasizing about firing some gun or flying some fighter jet. Just like American men and their guns. They are fat, and overweight and probably sexually impotent and lust after guns to make up for what they lack in sexual prowess. Dickless wonders of the world unite!”

Feel better after the emission? You do? Good. It’s the beauty of democracy, like Japan, this forum, where you say what you want to say, within the law, without fear. Without America armed to the teeth against Hitler, Stalin, Tojo, Mao, you probably are living under these dictators’ rule today, minus the joy of an emission. Without Abe’s effort to arm his own country, Japanese people could be living under other people’s rule, minus freedom of speech, tomorrow.

Well, let's see.

Which would we choose?

The totalitarian regime of China which throttles free speech and is blatantly undemocratic?

Or the totalitarian regime of USA-puppet Japan which, with Abe in charge, throttles free speech and says it's democratic, but isn't.

Totalitarian Japan? Makes a good tabloid headline or pub talk but that's all. How many people has Japan locked up for exercising free speech and democratic rights? How about China? Nuff said. Case closed.

You're free to choose China if you like but I doubt you'll be free for long once you start getting critical of its government.

Of course Japan has nuclear weapons....well, on US soil in Japan at least.

Strangerland... how do you know?

Because I read the news:

Thomas Blanton, director of the National Security Archive at George Washington University, said in a recent interview with Kyodo News, "This act on specially designated secrets...I don't see an appeals process at all."

Blanton said that appeals processes for declassification are necessary to balance the harm to national security and the right for public knowledge and government transparency.

"You only get that harm test and balancing test when you can force the information out of the hands of the originating agency, or the original bureaucrat and get it into new review," Blanton said.

Blanton said, "This law includes language about the people's right to know but it needs to have some actual formal and bureaucratic process that would balance those interests."

Without such a balance, the current law is "essentially an invitation to the bureaucracy to put a secret stamp on anything they create that's protecting their own bureaucratic power," Blanton said.

Link: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/140422/us-expert-urges-appeals-process-japans-secrecy-act

So, it's bad for japan to increase their military, but North Korea can shoot missiles of Japans coast every other week and that's no problem?

Where has anyone other than you claimed that these are equivalent?

If Japan had re-apportionment like the US, we would not be ruled by politicians elected by country bunpkins. And if young people ever voted. Japanese pollitics would be very different. Young people don't understand that they are the ones who will be sent to a foreign country to die in a US caused war.

Strangerland... how do you know?

Oh and the free speech? If you mean the bill to outlaw the publication of state secrets... most countries have that.

Responsible countries have a series of checks and balances, as well as a method of oversight, to ensure that the state secret laws are not abused. Japan does not have any checks or balances or any oversight at all.

I hope they reported on the plentiful domestic opposition to the amendment that NHK conveniently seems to have missed.

Once again, which was Xinhua, and which was NHK? Wasn't one of them supposed to be objective?

Pot.

Kettle.

Black.

After years of threatening behavior against Japan and its citizens, after years of engaging in pointless riots against Japanese citizens and business, the Chi-Comm government has the audacity to criticize Japan?

Christ.

Go Japan!

A toast on selective reality.

So, it's bad for japan to increase their military, but North Korea can shoot missiles of Japans coast every other week and that's no problem?

Bertie... since when is Japan a totalitarian regime? You have no idea what you're talking about. You have a vote, yes? Therefore you live in a democracy. Are there multiple parties to vote for? Yes, so you live in a democracy. Can Abe be voted out of power? Yes.

Are there armed soldiers on the streets? Do citizens go in fear of being lifted by secret police? No... so stop talking nonsense.

Oh and the free speech? If you mean the bill to outlaw the publication of state secrets... most countries have that.

Who cares? The U.S. approves of this.

China, talk to the US.

@Bertie Yep. The usual hypocrisy, rattle-throwing from the CCP and the usual lack of transparency and shady approach of the LDP. I wouldn't trust either as far as I could throw them. There are those in China and Japan who see how squalid their governments. The Chinese are often in serious danger from the CCP when voicing their disapproval of the cronies in charge and Abe seems to like this idea along with a growingly similar approach to the media. Whatever you think of this 'reinterpretation', the approach of the LDP absolutely stinks.

China is a 'temple of doom' that needs to be reduced to rubble. All democratic hearted chinese should flee from that temple coz war is coming on its doorstep. All powerful nation will join. US and Russia will lead the way.

Well, let's see.

Which would we choose?

The totalitarian regime of China which throttles free speech and is blatantly undemocratic?

Or the totalitarian regime of USA-puppet Japan which, with Abe in charge, throttles free speech and says it's democratic, but isn't.

At least China is honest about it.

Let's see: North Korea acting like 4 year olds shooting bottle rockets at the neighbors. Check South Korea wanting closer ties with North Korea. Check USA loses soccer match. Check China upset with Japan about whatever China is crying about today. Check Tomorrow China is sure to cry about something different just as sure as the sun will rise. Check

I love the song by Sting "the russians" applies to chines with the words "I hope they love their children too" wich sadly they don't

china is so confident of Russia's friendship it doesn't know that Russia will be the nation to strike her from its backdoor. Russia considers China as an enemy(Testimony of a russian journalist) for eternity coz china is an Atheist country while Russia is a christian country. Russia is the new nation that defends christianity. Russia will never go to war with US. These two has military secrets. White races will never eliminate each other.

China has an Army and is making it massive each year, so WTF gives china the right to have any say when their own people have no rights, and they have built up why promising not 2. This is a joke statement from china. This just shows how all the people will be and are brainwashed and china will start the conflict and tell there people it was them. How can we give china a market when we know they control the media and that means hiding the truth and lying.

China lying about build up is beyond stupid, as all the above means war will 100% happen and their brain washed people that have no rights, will go along with the Gov, like we have seen every time, china makes these reports. There is no better Waring sighs then what is happening with China now, building up brainwashing their media with fake media report, that we have 100% see the Chinese public back the Gov on a lie.

China backed the north Koreans and still does, china backed the north Vietnamese, china and india had a recent conflict, china is pushing Vietnam and the Philippines very hard now too,who said on here that china has not been involved in any foreign conflicts, time you learnt some history and stopped typing rubbish about subjects you obviously no nothing about.

I really do wonder about the younger generation who have not learnt anything at all except how to play a video game, you should study economics and history then take part in discussions with adults instead of talking about topics you do not understand.

oh yes. china has never expanded or sent military anywhere ever. Not Nepal, Not Mongolia, Not Vietnam, Not Korea. Not ever.

After this, China will greater her military force basis on this. Every one need a reasion for their actions.

@drakedogma

China has a huge history of never being involved in foreign conflicts unlike America that invaded Iraq. If any country is a loose Cannon, its the US.

Ever hear of a little conflict called the Korean War in the 1950s? The Chinese were involved in that in a major way, taking active part in the war as well as supplying MiG 15s to the NK air force.

Bring on the next serious arms' race. THAT's the main reason the US is so happy about this: MONEY!

a cartoon on Wednesday depicting Abe as the American action hero Rambo, with a Japanese flag bandanna tied around his forehead and wielding a large machine gun.

I'll have to admit...

Did you not see the comparison chart, who is building their military, who is pushing the boundrys, who is confrontational, who is claiming land that isn't theirs, who is provoking other nations, who is trying to claim resources outsides its economic zone, who is installing no fly zones, who is pissing off everyone else in asia, who is firing off all the rhetoric, who is everyone worried about ?

Not Japan, look at the chart, look at the facts, china is the aggressor and is way out of line for a supposed peaceful nation with no military agenda of aggression , wake up for crying out loud its as plain as the nose on your face.,

Japan is wise to change its article 9 and tool itself up as sometime in the coming decade the Chinese army will start marching I kid you not.

Awe, is big big China gonna cry?

An expected response from Japan's closest 'neighbor' and may expect similar concerns from across the globe.

Word is not enough to stop China. Let us learn from history in way to understand how the conflict begins. No country has to challenge other country that it thoughts is stronger than her.

China has a huge history of never being involved in foreign conflicts

To the extent that China believes it owns whatever it claims it owns, yeah, it has never been involved in foreign conflicts.

Have you not seen them building artificial man-made islands in the South China sea recently?

“Is China on your military agenda?”

Japan can now, under LDP-Komeito regime, conclude de facto military alliances with USA, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, etc., against China’s East China Sea and South China Sea expansions---as long as LDP or LDP-Komeito is in power.

Abe seems to have betted LDP’s future on Japanese people’s continuous support of this decision. Will majority of Japanese feel comfortable with a (now oppositionist) party who openly declared that Japan does not need any military alliances, thus could go on to renounce those alliances established by LDP once it is in power?

@darekedogma

Japan has being spending money in infrastructure for the past 60 years and is still doing so.

And no.. despite your wild conspiracy-theory wet dreams, Japan does not have nuclear weapons

Glad to See Japan hasn't learned anything from America, how obsessive pointless military spending hurts and bankrupts an entire country. The military is such a meaningless gesture, War between China and Japan will end with nuclear weapons, what's the point of creating worthless aircrafts and tanks when China has nukes and the US has nukes and Japan probably has secret nukes. Its a simple waste of money just like the US is doing.

Why not spend that money on infrastructure instead? At what point would Japan honestly need a military? China has a huge history of never being involved in foreign conflicts unlike America that invaded Iraq. If any country is a loose Cannon, its the US.

Maybe so.. Japan has made some "sneaky" attacks on the last 100 years to Russia, US and China... but has not in the last 70 years...

On the other hand, China has being doing some "sneaky" attacks on Russia, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Vietnam, Mongolia, Tibet, Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Pakistan in the past 80 years and even more in the past 2 years. Not to mention they have done so over the past 500 years or so.

China kept pushing and pushing.. what did you expect? Some flowers and fruits basket from Japan?

Abe should resign coz he will start war soon.

China is scared, cos Japan has so many political friends, built over in the past 70 years of silence; 95% of the globe is on Japan's side, period!

Make peace not war. The US is encouraging this arms race. This is the latest frontier of this cold war that has never ended.

Some trivia...

China has triple Japan's military spending on an absolute basis.

China has double Japan's military spending on "share of GDP" basis.

Japan has five times China's military spending on a per capita basis.

Did not take them long to criticise Japan already. Take one to know one, so let the game begin.

Hey Chinese Media, before you make such analysis, please check and write also what China is doing in the ASEAN countries especially Vietnam and Philippines!

Well, this is a surprise! NOT!

What does the Peoples Republic of China expect? They are making threats against Japan and the other nations. As for their troops, how do they expect to use them against Japan?