politics

Japan calls for defense spending hike; notes threats to Taiwan

37 Comments
By Daniel Leussink and Tim Kelly

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37 Comments
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Japan has no choice - drastically increase defense spending and recruitment, or fall behind.

Japan needs to be in a position to fight alongside independent Taiwan to defend their land, should Communist China invade, as seems almost certain now. Furthermore, there are growing threats from other rogue state neighbors who threaten Japan and her interests.

8 ( +18 / -10 )

Turn this country into a hornet’s nest. Lots of jet fighters and missile systems, strictly for defense of course.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

The current defense spending of 0.6% is appalling for a developed nation, and doesn’t even qualify to join most mutual defense treaties.

The only reason Japan can even maintain any standing forces and modern equipment with such a tiny budget, is because Japan has a sizable GDP.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

Spend away. You’ve already got our tax money, might as well use it for something good.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

@Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne AGAIN silly logic! China is not only threatening Japan they are threatening the world. China does not want to cooperate with any country they fly aircraft into other countries, their aircraft buzz other aircraft and when other ship sail through waters they claim as their they either bomb them or shoot them with water cannons!! Speaking of and upset Russia has upset the world, I am LMFAO the only country they had fooled was China everyone knows what their plan was which was to get China's backing invade Ukraine and conquer it and then Russia was to back China going into Taiwan. The plan failed and China has Russia on its knees!! China see's Russia as no LONGER A threat. They see them as a big dog with no teeth!! The only thing China knows that stands in the way of them taking Taiwan is the US. Other allies have come to the point where they see China on their borders and flexing their military strength therefore they feel they have to arm up. This has nothing to do with an excuse to increase military spending. Its about protecting your country from a bully that will take what it can and destroy you. LMFAO if any country is trying to become and or assume dominant leadership of Asia its CHINA LMFAO you are talking about Japan's failing economy and resources look at China's they aren't doing so well either, the global economy is struggling now. LMFAO talking about a bargaining chip you can't bargain with a fool, every statement that comes out of China is twisted to make the other country look bad even if for example the video shows Chinese war planes buzzing across Australian war planes in international airspace! I don't care how big China's military is but recently they has a row with India on the border, I think India's military got the best of that one LOL!! Let me correct you you mentioned "Same old story as history is repeating itself- that Japan once again is anxiously and jealously salivating to become leader of Asia" isn't it the other way around if you know anything about it is China who doesn't want history to repeat itself, China has to be very careful because the World is watching and they are greedy they might be trying to chew off more than they can swallow!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Let’s get these young Japanese into uniform! That I want to see.

3 ( +13 / -10 )

@Kyo wa heiwa dayo neToday  03:09 pm JST

You do realize that the everyday handling of the Senkakus is the duty of the JCG, not the SDF, do you?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@Alan Bogglesworth If China ever attacked the US that will be the END OF CHINA!!! As I have said before no Chinese soldiers would want to fight a battle on US soil. People claim the US has too many guns, well think about it those soldiers would never go back to China because they will be facing bloody hell!

Unless Japan is going to rid itself of American airforces bases, this is a waste of money.

China is going to attack the US.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Russia's murder of Ukrainian citizens by the tens of thousands only proves that we need to protect countries like Taiwan and Ukraine from their murderous neighbors.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Many other reasons were given to manufacture consent among the populace - but this was always the intent back when they first started talking about increasing the consumption tax.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Just give Trump a call, he's got all the right connections and will get you all set up with the right people at fractions the cost$$.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

If that's what the Japanese people want by voting these leaders in

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It is a little late, but at least it is finally happening. China has a big head start.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

So what a fat lot of good more military spending will do to protect Japan from China if the JSDF doesn't have the balls to defend itself own territory.

The men and women on the ground (and sea) have the balls. I know from personal interaction. It’s the politicians who are the problem.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Rodney True Taiwan is not part of Japan but if China can have its way Japan will be China!!! Weapons is what brought peace! What good is it if you have out dated defense mechanisms? Are you ok with China having missiles, destroyer ships? Your logic tells me you are happy with Japan defending themselves with bow and arrows and China throwing grenades and shooting rockets! What many weapons are you referring too?

Taiwan is not part of Japan. Article 9 prevents Japan from going to war. We have had peace since Ww2 ending. We have so many weapons for self defense. We need to reduce spending.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This is an internal matter for Japan. They can spend what they like be it 1%, 2% or 4% of GDP if they want to. There are nasty people close by Japan that it must be able to hold it's own against should it need to.

Funny isn't it how the pro Chinese are saying "cut spending" while China continues to increase it's spending on weapons. Why is that? I never hear the pro Chinese call for China to spend more on social issues and less on military purchases. Is it because a weaker Japan is easier to bully, coerce and defeat in a future war? China surely does not want a prepared and well armed Japan to thwart its goals of regional dominance ahead of world dominance.

It is up to Japan to decide. It is a sovereign issue.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Oh great, so now the American Military-Industrial Complex is taxing all of us who live in Japan too.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@Yrral if China closes shipping lanes and destroy in boat that sails into their so call claimed defense zones that will choke off all of the countries in Asia. I think its best that you understand this or you will be eating grass!

Taiwan is none of their business,this is a a and b situation,Japan should c their way out

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Alan Bogglesworth If China ever attacked the US that will be the END OF CHINA!!! As I have said before no Chinese soldiers would want to fight a battle on US soil.

That depends on the situation. The US isn't going to be in a hurry to go nuclear. They will fight with conventional arms as long as China likewise does not escalate to nuclear arms. The US can do a heck of a lot of damage without going nuclear, but the nature of China's military is going to make fighting anywhere inside the first island chain dangerous and costly. Consider that pretty much every airfield in Taiwan is covered by air defense missiles on the Chinese mainland. The Chinese could nail you on climb out from pretty much any runway in Taiwan ! When you read about area denial China has made it pretty much a suicide mission to fly anything other than an all aspect low-observable aircraft within the substantial range of their air defenses. You are not going to dive on an HQ-22 battery with a HARM equipped F-16 like it was an old Soviet SA-6 and expect to survive. The Chinese system will shoot the F-16 down long before the Viper pilot knows he or she is in danger, and be rolling down the road seconds after firing at the Viper. And unlike the Russians the Chinese not only have capable aircraft, radars and missiles but their aircrews train like crazy. They are arguably better trained than the Russians. The PLAN is better equipped than Russian navy ever was. What China lacks are recent combat experience. They don't know if their stuff works in a no kidding shooting war, but they sure train a lot and they train realistically. China would be a tough nut to crack but the US has some strengths the Chinese cannot yet match.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well...ahem... but..for two years now the JSDF has allowed the Chinese coastguard and fishing vessels to enter Japanese islands of senkaku every few days constantly.

Senkaku is within the city limits of Ishigaki Island the main hub of the yaeyama islands.

Last year the Chinese coastguard became armed with cannons.

So the JSDF hasn't done diddly squat to stop the intrusions but only whining pathetically to China and whimpering to the USA about it.

So what a fat lot of good more military spending will do to protect Japan from China if the JSDF doesn't have the balls to defend itself own territory.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Japan wants to drastically increase defense spending "within the next five years" it said on Tuesday in an annual economic policy document that for the first time mentioned both a time frame for the expenditure and concern about threats faced by Taiwan.

America's huge defense budget is one of the reasons it scrimps on social support and infrastructure for its populace.

The LDP hasn't had such a burden as yet but has its' support from in the form of corporate welfare for the weakening competitiveness and bottom line of Japan Inc.

The Japanese populace should get ready for some hard use of its' role as a human resource by the LDP.

-3 ( +9 / -12 )

Kawasaki C-2's brake system supplier quit business. Japanese defense contractors keep quitting.

Japan now must import machine guns, 155 mm shells, half of F-2 parts that used to be made in Japan, etc.

Even if Japan's defense spending rises, it doesn't reach to Japan's defense contractors as money is spent on US weapons instead.

https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2022060200993

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Is it China, North Korea and Russia that are stimulating Japan to increment its defense budget, or is it Japan that is utilizing these countries to justify its call for a defense budget hike despite the war-renouncing constitution?

It may be both.

-4 ( +11 / -15 )

LDP's new foreign policy plan: Taunt China while hiding in the coat tails of big brother USA.

The 2% target doesn't make sense. Each country's defense spending should be based on their unique circumstances.

-4 ( +9 / -13 )

Taiwan is none of their business,this is a a and b situation,Japan should c their way out

-6 ( +14 / -20 )

Taiwan is not part of Japan. Article 9 prevents Japan from going to war. We have had peace since Ww2 ending. We have so many weapons for self defense. We need to reduce spending.

-7 ( +10 / -17 )

Unless Japan is going to rid itself of American airforces bases, this is a waste of money.

China is going to attack the US.

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

But hey, gotta raise taxes because no money for social welfare programs.

-7 ( +9 / -16 )

So the US has asked Japan to buy more expensive weapons to play with.....

Just say no Japan.

-8 ( +6 / -14 )

How abt to spend these funds to help to own citizens instead of this meaningless "shopping"?

Say make 0% VAT for basic food.

This will make definitely better sense.

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

This political scenario is a dream come true for the ultra right wing nationalists of Nippon Kaigi and most of the LDP.

Abe’s dream to rearm and recreate a “beautiful” Japan is a real possibility for them in order to honour their grandfathers like Abe and Aso told publicly.

Don’t forget that this current PM and most of his cabinet are Nippon Kaigi affiliate as well.

The masses are becoming poorer and there is no real deal with the welfare problems that Japan is facing.

It will only get worse,and this is how our gaijin taxes will go.

To fully rearm them.

-9 ( +11 / -20 )

Is China actually threatening Japan ? - NO it isn't.

Japan has already upset Russia over the Ukraine crisis and next Japan will upset China .

this is definitely an excuse to increase military spending and for kishida to make his ridiculous trips around Asia to try and assume a dominant leader of Asia position using Japan's failing economy and resources and puny sized military as a bargaining chip.

Same old story as history is repeating itself- that Japan once again is anxiously and jealously salivating to become leader of Asia ,but only inevitably to be thwarted and put back on the mantelpiece as a ornamental relic !

-11 ( +11 / -22 )

This is a prelude to war

-11 ( +4 / -15 )

Japan is responsible for the Taiwan issue. If Japan hadn't gone to war with China in the first place, there probably wouldn't be a CCP. Thats not to say Japan should ignore the situation, but it should be working to ease the tensions, not raise them.

https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/d00722/

-11 ( +7 / -18 )

This political scenario is a dream come true for the ultra right wing nationalists of Nippon Kaigi and most of the LDP.

Abe’s dream to rearm and recreate a “beautiful” Japan is a real possibility for them in order to honour their grandfathers like Abe and Aso told publicly.

Don’t forget that this current PM and most of his cabinet are Nippon Kaigi affiliate as well.

Nippon Kaigi is actually hated by the real ultranationalists (like Manasobu Tsuji or other OG ultraconservatives who lived through WW2) since NP cultists are crazed over the worship of the US more than caring about Japan. In their eyes, they believe that they can be the right-hand man for the US in the global conquest. That's their wet dream!

The US does not have friends or allies but only client states.

The US is going to lure Japan into a direct conflict against China-Russia, so the total destruction of Japan will allow Americans to exert total hegemony over the dead island country. Permanently, the US is turning Japan into the second "Australia" by encouraging American military families to settle in the US in a colonial fashion (recent expansion of US military bases also covers more living space for American military families). Japanese people have been brainwashed so hard to embrace the Americanization of their country.

-16 ( +6 / -22 )

Let China take back the Ryukyu chain and we will have peace for a 100 years.

-16 ( +3 / -19 )

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