politics

Japan to boost island defense capability despite budget cuts

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Just need to put a few people on the ground. Then China would have to use force to remove them. Maybe the people in the black vans will volunteer to populate the islands. We can build roads around the islands for them to drive.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

If we really want to hurt China, we just have to stop depending on their manpower and cheap labor. For once, start paying what's right and get your own country citizens to do the work.

Good luck with that. You'll need to stop buying practically everything as almost everything is made in China.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

What did I tell you yesterday? They're going to freeze 5 Trillion in spending, but are still planning to spend just as much over the islands. Talk about priorities!

3 ( +7 / -4 )

But the ministry plans to earmark 2.5 billion yen in next year’s budget to buy its first four armoured amphibious vehicles, which could be used to counter threats against remote islands.

There was a time when, if I remember correctly, when Japan was the world leader in amphibious vehicles for military use.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

sfjp330- "armies do not defend people", so true. Lets take the present,History has enough horrors. In the present conflicts,middle eastern,african, more civilians have been killed than military personnel. The media publishes and glorifies conflicts and publishes daily the loss of any military personnel. But what about those civilians,age doesn't matter , killed, forced to flee their homes. Can you just imagine what goes through their minds, the horrors the disgust. But who cares, certainly not the politicians, when and where do they do any suffering. So sfjp330 your so right ,those Okinawans and the people living in those idilic islands, do you think they want a repeat of WW2, they didn't have a say when all those people where sacrificed in WW2, and for what. So it only reasonable to expect they don,t want a repeat. Politicians are elected or so I was led to believe, to protect their citizens.????? Are the the words, dialogue or compromise in the politicians manual ?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Right or wrong on both sides, If anything goes awry over a few pieces of rock it would be shameful. More pressing issues on the table.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It is not what is on the property but what is under the property. England decided it was worth the expense to defend its island property many, many years ago, Japan should do the same.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The 4.59 trillion yen is the total defence spending for next year. Only 2 billion yet is being offered for the islands.

Forget it Samurai. Smith doesn't understand the concept of fiscal budget. He also doesn't realize that the amount that the defense budget submits will be debated during the next Diet session.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I was so hyped up about whose isles are whose and the what and wherefore of it all between China and Japan / Japan and South Korea / Japan and Russia. Until I read about the countries who call Queen Elizabeth II their Queen. She is Queen to 1/6 of the world. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Ceylon, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

After reading about Queen Elizabeth II, these isles Japan and China are arguing over don't seem so all that big anymore whoever gets them gets them.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Just need to put a few people on the ground. Then China would have to use force to remove them. Maybe the people in the black vans will volunteer to populate the islands. We can build roads around the islands for them to drive.

Good idea. If enough uyoku's migrate to the islands then we can have peace in Japan.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

this is not such a bad idea IMO. even the peace loving people of japan will agree that it's time to react right before it's too late. if neighboring countries could not get away with their bitterness over WWII even though it is well over known to the whole world that japan have paid for it for more than half a century now, and not to mention the help money (ODA) that is still being given to china by japan until now (absurd yeah I know), then IMHO japan should react now. it's TIME! those geeks will never stop until they get their assumed vengiance, not to mention nobody ever have beaten japan in battle in history except the u.s., china had it thrice with japan, all three had china beaten so badly, so just imagine how much they have in their heads to call it "let's try it one more time, probably the last.

i guess the world has only 2 choices here, just like what the "revelation" is reflecting, it is going to be a "world peace" after a 3rd WW...but what kind of peace is that going to be is the big question. peace as in everyone is friends and no wars anymore,....or just plain peace for noone is here anymore to make war at each other again.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Let there be AKB48 concert on the rock !! That ought to populate the disputed isles real fast !!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

the-grouchSep. 08, 2012 - 09:23AM JST For those of you looking for facts and answers, smithinjapan in right. Also let's take a look at Ishiwara's comment. >Well said but we cannot underestimate the Japanese either. If we really want to hurt China, we just have to stop >depending on their manpower and cheap labor. For once, start paying what's right and get your own country citizens >to do the work. That would creat jobs, boost economy and strengthen this country. And we have to see China as the >sleeping giant, but there's also a saying, the bigger they are they are the harder they fall.

I have to disagree on two points. One, it's easy to say the above about any country, at leat any democratic country where the figures are public. You could say the exact same thing about the US, Aus, Canada, EU, all the developed nations that have made use of China's cheap labor at the expense of thgeir own domestic economies. Second, I've never found smith to be right about anything on any topic.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Who has ever invaded Japan and who would even think about it? For what reason? Spending Bn and Bn for lost rocks in the ocean? Invest all this money in future tech and the world will support diplomatically Japan in case of trouble. Get mature and leave the childish things at the level they should stay.

But it looks like the army lobby is as strong as the NPP one. Maybe it is the same actually: no care about the people they pretend to defend. Just easy money making.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

it would be unwise to go hippie and can't we all just get along ... no we can not obviously there's too many cro magnons left in the world .. small surgical ninja strikeforces, highly skilled, invisible and swift ... best thing you can have if you're not the bigger one ... something belgium could learn a lot of

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Interesting development; some of my thoughts:

One problem is that it might make China more inclined to take over control before the Japanese develop this amphibious capacity. If Japan has to retake one of these islands after an unopposed Chinese landing, world opinion might judge Japan to be the aggressor. It would also be more risky. What about the United States, who have the marines in Okinawa? The Japanese government might be signaling that they don't intend to rely on an American decision to retake the islands in case of a Chinese attack; or that they don't trust the US to stand by Japan when necessary. Developing an amphibious capacity is a departure from the constitutional role of the JSDF. China will predictably call this proof of Japan's aggressive stance.

These defense spending figures are interesting; with China's defense spending having first been doubled, and then raised with at least 10% every year for the last decade, it is amazing they still get away with talk about Japan's "neo-nationalist" aggressive designs etc.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

They're going to freeze 5 Trillion in spending, but are still planning to spend just as much over the islands. Talk about priorities!

The 4.59 trillion yen is the total defence spending for next year. Only 2 billion yet is being offered for the islands.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Okinawans had learned from their experience of WWII that armies do not defend people, and so they tend to believe that any defense of the Senkakus that rested on militarizing them and embedding them in hostile confrontation between Japan and China would expose Okinawa to greater threat rather than improve its security. All Japanese media paints a picture of China as threatening, and it paid minimal attention to the circumstances surrounding the Japanese claim to the islands or to the reasons for the renewed behavior of suspicion of Japan in China. Japan trashed the Deng Xiaoping's “freeze” agreement that was the basis for China-Japan accommodation, by denying they existed.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

IshiwaraSep. 08, 2012 - 08:33AM JST Interesting development; some of my thoughts: One problem is that it might make China more inclined to take over control before the Japanese develop this >amphibious capacity.

No chance at all. China is acutely aware the U.S, posiion in this matter since the US has openly stated that the SEbkakus fall within US defense parameters. So unless Chiuna wats to start a shooting war with the United States, it;s very very unlikely.

If Japan has to retake one of these islands after an unopposed Chinese landing, world opinion might judge Japan >to be the aggressor. It would also be more risky.

Good point.

What about the United States, who have the marines in Okinawa? The Japanese government might be signaling >that they don't intend to rely on an American decision to retake the islands in case of a Chinese attack; or that they >don't trust the US to stand by Japan when necessary.

The JGSDF and the USMC have been conduct joint training on amphibious warefare, with a ficus on re-taking occupied islands for several years now. The US-Japan Mutual Defense Treaty will kick in if the islands are invaded.

Developing an amphibious capacity is a departure from the constitutional role of the JSDF. China will predictably >call this proof of Japan's aggressive stance.

A little late. The JGSDF has had several amphibious landing hovercraft for years now. I have no doubt the PLANavy is also fully aware of this.

These defense spending figures are interesting; with China's defense spending having first been doubled, and >then raised with at least 10% every year for the last decade, it is amazing they still get away with talk about >Japan's "neo-nationalist" aggressive designs etc.

I'm still looking for evidence that China's rise is really "peaceful" as they claim.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

For those of you looking for facts and answers, smithinjapan in right. Also let's take a look at Ishiwara's comment. Well said but we cannot underestimate the Japanese either. If we really want to hurt China, we just have to stop depending on their manpower and cheap labor. For once, start paying what's right and get your own country citizens to do the work. That would creat jobs, boost economy and strengthen this country. And we have to see China as the sleeping giant, but there's also a saying, the bigger they are they are the harder they fall.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

That would mark the 11th consecutive year of decline in the defense budget and the largest percentage drop in 58 years.

Japan is in a steady demising!

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

This is nonsense. Japan has been an unofficial protectorate of the US since the end of WWII. If anyone attacks Japan, the US will respond, much in the same way that China will mobilize if N. Korea gets attacked. Japan is protected, against man-made attacks at any rate. Protecting against cyber-attacks is important, I'll grant, but actual military is not required.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

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