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Defense Ministry to seek over ¥5.4 tril defense budget with China in mind

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Next actually have experts recommend where this money should go rather then uneducated right wing nuts. Who over the last decade have spent trillions on pet projects that were canceled and found to be too difficult to eventuate. Or even worse totally defunct even before the idea came anywhere near even starting.

The Defense Ministry is a bizarre quagmire that can only throw darts at a map blindfolded. Example trillion yen land based missile Defence system was going to be built, but in an area that negated it’s use, then let’s build it on a off shore platform, then let’s build a ship to anchor off shore. All of these ideas cost trillions of yen, just to investigate the feasibility. How about thinking it through before spending any money.

you know not letting bureaucrats just sent from the ministry of agriculture and the Office of Labour to do their time at the Ministry of Defence decide.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

If these clowns don't find a way to control delta and support SMBs that are going bankrupt they won't have anything to protect. Just read the last line in this article....

8 ( +10 / -2 )

It's a bad situation for a nation to be completely incapable of self governing or self financing, and to also be neighbors with the red menace.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Countering China will take full resolve, sharp decisive movements, timely decisions, savvy political will and clout. But If the pandemic has shown us anything though, inspiring confidence that the J leadership class will rise to the occasion ain’t one of them unfortunately. Many forecast Japan being subjugated by 2040 unless they seriously get their act together.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Yes, because the US will leave as soon as China attacks, as we have learned recently.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

They should have spent that money on rebuilding the middle classes.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210819/p2a/00m/0op/011000c

The wars of the 21st century onward are economic, cyberspace, criminal syndicate, and small proxy wars. However, economic warfare is the most important but Japan is losing badly. China and ASEAN have clouded Japan from many fields that Japan used to dominate like the solar industry or cement industry. Japan could have pulled a brilliant "BRI" on the ASEAN in the 1980s to rally this region for supporting resources for resources independence instead of wasting wealth on the craziest bubbles of all time.

If China acquires Taiwan, then it is game over for the Japanese economic future. Having ASEAN on Japan's side should have been available to use long before Japan's economic crash. Now, Japan turns the gaze on this region too late as China gradually gains an upper hand, while ASEAN elites are doubting Japan's might. Vietnam is probably the most generous one to cooperate with Japan the most, while Chinese money has outmatched Japan in other ASEAN members. Still, Vietnam has its own interests including the Vietnamese Communist alignment with Chinese Communists. Japan may be too generous to provide many free aids for Vietnam but these aids aren't enough in the long term.

Basically, Japan must rebuild its economic might before militaristic might.

Many forecast Japan being subjugated by 2040 unless they seriously get their act together.

That's a generous estimate on when Taiwan will be subjugated. I predict it can be much faster if China resolves its SCS disputes with ASEAN and secures the Vietnamese military alliance. If everything goes right according to plans, China should retake Taiwan with lightning speed around 2025-2030.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

I agree with Septim here, the majority of wars that will be fought from this day onwards will mostly likely be with laptops and signatures on paper, with missiles beginning to fly when things really go down south. Alright, if Afghanistan and Vietnam and Iraq ever taught us anything, is that the US will pull out when it's no longer profitable for them to stay there, and I think they have a very high price for Japan, probably something that they might resort to war for to keep their foot in the doorstep of China. Yes, Taiwan and the South China Sea will be the canaries in the coalmine for Japan, but once these birds start singing, you can bet that a lot of countries might have already threatened to take action. America and Japan aren't the only countries that are keep tabs on China, but they're the most hawkish.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

China is laughing again as they tie up an enormous portion of the worlds wealth with their posturing.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

It seems the chinese war model is an economic one.

They slowly hook your economy up to a life support machine and then threaten to pull the plug if you don't sign up peacefully.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

It is less expensive to avoid war by being prepared for it, than to go into war because one is seen as unprepared.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

If you wish to live in peace, prepare for war.

Placing an artificial cap of 1% may have been valid or at least harmless in 1976, but the world has changed since then and Japan no longer sits in a quiet backwater as it did then Now they are in an area with real threats and challenges and like any organism must adapt to changing circumstances or cease to exist.

NATO aims for 2% as a not unreasonable level of expenditure. The least Japan could do is get rid of the artificial cap. Ensuring there was expertise in the decision making process so as to minimise waste might be a good idea as well.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Matej, if they perceive Japan and its allies as weak and they can get away with it, yes.

The danger is they will mis-read the runes and make bad judgement calls leading to disaster for everyone.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

"However, economic warfare is the most important but Japan is losing badly."

Yet, you're fighting "tooth and nail" to stay in the country!

Lovely.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

China is in the process of installing 200 nuclear missile silos in Tibet,and Japan is on their Target list Google China Nuclear Missile Silos

1 ( +2 / -1 )

How did the West, principally the USA, "defeat" the Soviet Union? QED.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Biden,spoke on the situation in Afghanistan,to reassure the party,it satisfied me and should satisfy every American

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I don't think Chinese dominance is pre-ordained. In fact I see Xi Jimnping leading China to ruin in the long run. Aside from needlessly starting ethnic conflicts with the Tibetans, Uyghurs, and more recently the Inner Mongolians and destroying the gem that once was Hong Kong, he has made it abundantly clear that the China of the future is no place for future Jack Ma's to innovate, take risks and perhaps befcome very wealthy. Those intrepid souls will immigrate elsewhere, tanking China's economic growth. Xi directing private firms to look to those paragons of innovation, the money losing State Owned Enterprises, for their leadership is another telling sign of future Chinese stagnation. I thing the CCP is writing checks it can't afford to have cashed and when the bills come due the CCP might not survive. It would not surprise me at all if the government institutions of Taiwan outlast those of the CCP. It is up to the western and Asian democracies to stand up to and contain China until she implodes, which she surely will.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

How did the West, principally the USA, "defeat" the Soviet Union?

First off it was a coordinated coalition effort by the US, NATO and several Pacific allies to contain the Soviets and build up enough militray strength to deter Soviet aggression. But ultimately is was their terribly inefficient command economy that caused the USSR to collapse. They never had the resources to simultaneously confront NATO and adequately feed, house, provide health care and provide an adequate standard of living for their own people. It didn't hurt that fully a third of the soldiers in the Red Army came from non-Slavic regions and didn't speak a word of Russian, or that over 90% of their soldiers left the army at the conclusion of their 2 year conscription (3 years for their navy). They never had the kind of experienced career soldiers and sailors one finds in western volunteer militaries who get things done on their own without an officer supervising them. It was to the point that Soviet officers had to do field repairs on equipment their soldiers or sailors never learned how to operate and repair adequately because they only stayed a couple of years. In the US military an E-4 or E-5 would be skilled in the repair with an E-6 as their lead and an E-7 in charge of the shop. I'm not sure the Chinese military is any better in that regard. A lot of those young conscripts don't want to be there and do the bare minimum to get by until their service obligation is complete.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

"How did the West, principally the USA, "defeat" the Soviet Union? QED."

1) China alone is nowhere near as strong as the "West" as a whole;

2) Japan is much stronger./richer/developed, and has many more options than the USSR had;

3) China alone cannot bankrupt the World's largest Creditor Nation (by far);

4) Your envisaged scenario won't happen.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Now that the Olympics are over, with all the corporate welfare benefits it gave to the construction industries, the LDP turns to another favorite venue for transferring public money to private businesses and investors. Desire was used to sell the former payout and now fear is used to sell the legitimacy of this new weaponized giveaway. It is complete hypocrisy when the people who have profited from the deep economic relationship with China scaremonger about the Chinese threat. Corporate states and all of their players inside and outside of government, around the globe, are a threat to the peace and security of ordinary people, and we should not let our tribal attachments blind us to the real workings of wealth and power.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

China is just the bait. The real catch is more taxpayer money dumped into the bank accounts of the companies who will build whatever it is they build.

It's a jobs thing...

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

gokai_wo_manekuAug. 20  10:09 am JST

Yes, because the US will leave as soon as China attacks, as we have learned recently.

LOL. Yea, Afghanistan and Japan are on the same level. Right.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Japan should invite China to set up bases in Okinawa and Yokosuka and have joint patrols and exercises.

If this sounds crazy, remember Japan invited America to set up bases in Okinawa and Yokosuka and had joint patrols and exercises.

Im no expert in history, but China has never bombed Japan. China has sent cute Pandas though.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Japan's ruling government continues to degrade Japan.

In every country, the ruling class is better than the business class, not in Japan. Maybe they should let a businessman become PM.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Yes, because the US will leave as soon as China attacks, as we have learned recently.

The rationale for abandoning Afghanistan was to free the US to concentrate on countering China and Russia. Afghanistan was a money pit and a boat anchor, tying US forces down in a theater nowhere near where they are needed while being a constant distraction from more pressing problems in Asia. China and Russia both loved watching the US forces tied down in Afghanistan rather than confronting them elsewhere while their diplomates were distracted trying to build a reasonably responsive and non corrupt government there, an impossible task. Afghan soldiers in the national army were only there for the paycheck and had no intention of ever fighting. Loyalties were to warlords and tribes, or whomever paid best, rather than to the nation. Every level of Afghan society is corrupt and the Afghans showed no interest in learning how to maintain anything the US sent them, so nothing was maintained. It appears Mr. Biden decided that as early as possible to cut the US losses, not so different from President Eisenhower's assessment that the Korean War was unwinnable and thus negotiated a stalemate with the US enemies.

I personally do not like it. I would have kept forces there to prevent a Taliban takeover. I understand the rationale but do not agree with it. Not sure how many voters will remember in 3 1/2 years but I will.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Im no expert in history, but China has never bombed Japan. 

Until relatively recently China never had the capability to bomb Japan. Chiang Kai-sheks forces did however host US Army AIr Corps B-29s conducting bombing raids on Japan until the US Navy and Marines secured islands closer to Japan to serve as B-29 bases. Take from someone married to a Shanghai born woman, the Chinese remember the atrocities commited by the IJA and the burn for revenge. Left undefended China will immediately destroy Japan's cities and subjugate her people harshly.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

If China was democratic like Taiwan. Yes

Your view of the world would work.

China is Communist. Xi Emperor for Life.

Xi recently dress up like his favorite communist hero Mao Zedong.

I am very in favor of good relations between Japan and China.

I've defended China many times when traveling overseas. Not online, but face to face.

I appreciate China is not as obsessed about history like South Korea is.

BUT.....

China is going in the Wrong Direction.

For Asia.

For Japan.

For Taiwan.

For India.

For Chinese themselves.

You are Making Some Horrible Mistakes In The Big Picture!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Any country that need to boost spending, all you need to is shout look China the punching bag is a big threat to our country we need trillions.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

MatejAug. 20  12:31 pm JST

pure cash throwaway.

is China going to attack Japan?

is someone on weed?

The purpose of a strong defense is to deter China from doing so. And taking Okinawa after Taiwan has already been openly talked about in China.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

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