Contentious major defense policy shift shows Japan wariness of China

It shows US are skilled at selling weapons and military services.

Money printer goes BrRrrrrr...!

@SarcasmOnly..Spot on !!!

Japan is not alone. Australia is intending to manufacture the missiles it needs domestically, to ensure supply in time of conflict. To build nuclear submarines and to purchase new US B-21 Raider long range stealth bombers (up to 12 units). Other nations are also increasing their defense abilities and it is all due to a continuing Chinese arms race and claims on international territory as well as claims on Taiwan, Senkaku's and more. Nations can ill afford to allow China to build endlessly, getting more and more overwhelming force which will be used to achieve its goals of empire building. If it was only Japan doing it, there may be a position to question why, but as many nations are forced to modernize their military, and work together to deter a conflict in the region, the common reason why is China's military growth and belligerence.

Nobody trusts China. Nobody believes China is a peaceful nation when it plans to force Taiwan to become part of CCP ruled China. Daily incursions into Japanese administered territory, demands that ships and planes in the South China sea, (international waters and air space) report to Chinese military authorities for permission. These are all hostile actions and require nations to take appropriate measures to protect their own interests.

This is all on China and Jinping Xi.

Japan will never realize that The US is the one creating all this tension in the Asia region and telling countries to increase the defense budget because The US wants to sell them their weapons… it’s a dirty game which America are the masters of!

Tomahawk missile was nothing new, it can be intercepted. Chinese navy missile destroyers has powerful phase array radar can detect these subsonic flying objects by ship to air missiles or multi barrel cannons. China has two dozen these "Aegis" ships and keep building in dozens.Also hypersonic ballistic missiles can hit far away targets with conventional warheads. Two variant stealth fighters J20 & J35 were delivered to air force and naval squadron. The mainstay of Chinese air power will be the stealthy H20 long range bomber to be test flight next year and combat readiness in 5 years.

Time has changed, China is world no2 and going to be no1 economy power, the Taiwan problem is just too of the iceberg, the Pacific, Indian Ocean were the two main theatre for China to explore with her military power. China was once a super power, it was that "Anglo Sino Opium War" caused a period of chaos for 200 years, now the Chinese were saying loud in actions: We are back!

This "historical turning point""biggest turn of national security policy in postwar Japan history" was decided "experts council" without even experts national security and constitution, omitted even deliberation at the Diet.

Japan's mainstream media who executives took part in its "experts council" don't mention even risk that expansion of armament or preemptive attack the name of "counterattack capability" have at all, they became warmonger s or accomplices of government like prewar.

LDP government who had reduced medical resources and social security on the pretext of financial difficulties had victimized many citizen directly or indirectly, but increase military budget easily during only several months.

Prioritizing military force than any other things, It's like North Korea.

again, japan the US puppet..... KISHIDA go to war by yourself!!, I am not interested. I prefer to buy made in china.

Hideomi KuzeToday  07:25 pm JST

Prioritizing military force than any other things, It's like North Korea.

Japan, a Democracy, 3rd largest economy in the world.

North Korea, a Dictatorship, 135th economy in the word.

Yup, can't tell difference.

Japan and China are neighbors, and share history, culture, and similar race relations dating back over 1000 years . . . diplomacy and peaceful international relations should also be a priority . . . .

see also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Japan

Japan has every right to build up it defenses and even go further and be able to preemptively strike. This is not about Taiwan only but about being capable to defend Japans Air, Sea, and Ground.

Why ? Why is Japan so... so troubled.... so worried and...... so disturbed about China and Taiwan? China and Taiwan is China's and Taiwan's business. Not the business of Japan or the U.S.A. So there is no earthly reason for Japan to get so disturbed... so worried.... and, so troubled...... by the China and Taiwan situation. The best policy for Japan and the U.S.A. is mind your own business.

Another irresponsible, unnecessary article, press seem to be provoking WW3 yet again

Japan will never realize that The US is the one creating all this tension in the Asia region and telling countries to increase the defense budget because The US wants to sell them their weapons

America is not the cause, everyone see's it is China that is the root cause, because Jinping wants China to be the most powerful nation on the planet, and to control all other nations with it's military might. The US would be just as happy selling trade goods and services as weapons.

Why ? Why is Japan so... so troubled.... so worried and...... so disturbed about China and Taiwan? China and Taiwan is China's and Taiwan's business. Not the business of Japan or the U.S.A.

Because Taiwan has no desire to be ruled by the CCP. None at all. China has no right to force over 24 million people to be amalgamated within Chinese rule. That makes it an international issue that concerns all nations that support maintaining sovereignty and freedom to choose. The CCP has never had jurisdiction over Taiwan, so has no right to claim it or attempt to bamboozle the international community into thinking it is an "internal matter" It is not.

Japan and the entire region is worried, disturbed and troubled that China can attempt to dictate the loss of freedom for an entire functioning nation. Even China knows and understands this, but it works to alter the narrative to enable it to succeed. It will continue to fail.

The best policy for Japan and the U.S.A. is mind your own business.

The best policy for China is to accept Taiwan as it is, get out of the South China sea, stop interfering in Japanese territory and cease its unneeded military buildup.

Japan needs to be better prepared to defend itself, but without relying on the USA. They should move to increase domestic production of modern weaponry, expand the Japanese military and close all American bases in Japanese territory.

It's weird...the only reason China would invade Japan is for the fresh water resources, some geothermic potential and a large supply of elderly people.

Headline from this morning: "Japan declares plan to have preemptive strike capability and cruise missiles."

"Preemptive strike capability" is what the Japanese imperial military used on Pearl Harbor. It was a short-term victory and then you know what followed.

Whether he knows it or not Kishida is playing with fire. If Kishida decides to use "Preemptive strike capability" on China we in Japan are toast. North Korea could cause major damage to Japan and involve China.

"Preemptive strike capability" is another expression for "sneak attack." Sneak attacks invariably bring reprisals. Kishida's loose talk may result only in hot air if there are enough rational people in the LDP to wise him up. Still, the mention of "preemptive strike capability" is likely to raise mistrust among nations.

Ccp members super active in the comments on this one. Good luck keeping up the facade.

The 2 directives of “communism” are to seek power and lie all the time. China, N Korea, Russia, all following these directives to a T.

There's variness among the public, carefully crafted by LDP and its affiliate media over many years of gaslighting. Not so much among the ruling class as their main concern is lining their pockets through increased taxes for all the new spending they will get their cuts with deals in smoke filled backrooms.

Sadly at even at this day n age the only language China Understands is Force n only India is giving it to China with no holds barred all the other countries r only barking from behind only

If Japan has first strike capability, then Japan does not need USA protection and finance anymore. If Japan wants to start a war with it's vastly superior neighbour, then let Japan get on with it and pay for it.

You can Thank China, Russia and North Korea. That's the countries invading neighbors, starting conflicts at the border, doing sneak attacks not in 1941, but in 2022.

They are the ones kidnapping Japanese citizens, they are the ones shooting missiles over Japan. They are the ones testing nuclear weapons or threatened Japan or other countries with Nuclear Annihilation.

Go ahead and complain about Japan's remilitarization.... No one is listening anymore or they supports Japan's decisions.

EVERYBODY is aware of China. What else?

If Japan has first strike capability, then Japan does not need USA protection and finance anymore. If Japan wants to start a war with it's vastly superior neighbour, then let Japan get on with it and pay for it.

Japan has long had the ability to attack anyone with its ships and planes able to launch deadly missiles to hit someone first. This intention for a new more capable range of weapons alters nothing. And it in no way makes Japan a super power able to take on a nuclear power and win. So it still needs the US protection via the nuclear umbrella.

These additional missiles do not alter Japan's desire for peace, and they do not mean Japan will turn around and start hitting other nations with long range missiles just because they have them. Japans neighbor may be larger militarily but it is in no way superior. Japanese technology is still superior to most things China can make, and Japanese quality is much higher that Chinese. The gap is shrinking to be sure but China's only advantage is number of people and military arsenal. In most other demographics Japan would be better in my opinion.

Alan HarrisonToday  01:03 am JST

If Japan has first strike capability, then Japan does not need USA protection and finance anymore. If Japan wants to start a war with it's vastly superior neighbour, then let Japan get on with it and pay for it.

Japan still reqires the US Nuclear umbrella. To keep China, Russia, NKorea from ever using nukes against it.

Japan not only does not "want to start a war, it can't under the first paragraph of Article 9. The only reason that Japan must increase it's military capabilities is because countries like China want to start a war, to take over Taiwan. There is literally nothing "superior" about China, other than population.

Folks, Japan is preparing to be able to counterstrike high value enemy targets after Japan has come under attack. They are not going to leave themselves in the position Ukraine is in, under attack but unable to attack their enemies center of mass and disrupt their command and control, logistics and major bases. If all a nation can do is deflect the enemies blows, knowing no defense is ever going to be 100% air tight, you can never prevail in war. If you can't attack your enemies center of mass and inflict losses you can never win.. They will just keep coming at you and especially a nation the size and population of China.

The one and only time anyone could reasonably foresee Japan engaging in a pre-emptive strike is if there is ironclad, verifiable intelligence that China or someone else is preparing to attack Japan, as in forces pouring over the coasts towards Japan, and the Japanese attack occurs in concert with US forces. Japan will never go it alone. There are very limited set of circumstances where a nation might use a pre-emptive strike but you darn well better be able to prove your enemy was in the middle of mounting an attack on you when you did it and your intent was to disrupt their attack. The only recent example of this would be the 1967 Arab Israeli war. And obtw, you can read what happened in 1973 when Israel was again attacked and that time caught napping unprepared. Japan isn't going to attack anyone unless it knows with certainty it is going to be attacked, or an attack is underway at which point you have a counterstrike, not pre-emptive strike and they will be fighting with US forces side by side. That is how we train.

China already dominates large parts of the world.

There is nothing Japan can do.

China already dominates large parts of the world.

No, it doesnt. It has trade with many nations, but that does not give them control over those nations. They tried that with many sanctions and tariffs on Australian goods and yet Australia continued to prosper, and found new markets for its goods. Trade can be a lever but the end result not always as expected. Australia stood firm and continues to trade with China and others. China did not get its way on any of its ten demands made to Australia.

There is nothing Japan can do.

Japan can ignore threats and directives from China, it has no control over Japan. Japan has many more friends than China does. That has value.