Philippines backs rearmed Japan to 'balance' China

Unwanted and unwise call knowing that Japan is enjoying cornerstone relationship with world's No.1 super power.

So sorry Japan does not want to drop our pacifistic constitution and rearm. Our warlike days are over and while we will defend will never attack. So if the Philippines wants defense they need to make their own Navy and Army.

One day China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea and Japan will have to work out a formula for sharing the wealth of the seas between them.

YuriOtaniDec. 11, 2012 - 12:25PM JST So sorry Japan does not want to drop our pacifistic constitution and rearm. Our warlike days are over and while we will >defend will never attack. So if the Philippines wants defense they need to make their own Navy and Army.

Nobody is asking for Japan to go back to being a military state. And noby is suggesting that Japan "attack" anyone. But with economic and diplomatic power as Japan has enjoyed now for decades comes a responsibility to contribute to peace and stability in the region. Hell that's the least your country can do to make up for 70 years ago, Far more useful than repeated apologies perpetually rejected. The Philippines has their own army and navy, but China is a giant that only the combined cooperation and efforts of the smaller nations can stand up to it. And whether you like it or not, China is he one being the most "warlike" in Asia.

From the article, it doesn't sound like the Philippines would be against it. President Bush asked Japan to change it constitution; Germany did and Japan didn't. But I would not be surprised to see Japan re-arm. Don't see what good it will do against China when the odds start at be with 13 to 1 in favor of China.

nandakandamandaDec. 11, 2012 - 12:41PM JST

One day China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea and Japan will have to work out a formula for sharing the wealth of the seas between them.

The ones in bold DID share the wealth of the seas quite nicely, they never bickered beyond a few minor things, but it also never went further than "strong condemnation" from one side or the other. Then China stepped in and screwed everyone over.

Considering China already took over a Philippine island in the last half decade, they are sure scared as hell to lose more to tyrannical China. And considering Philippines lost more (population and economy wise) to the Japanese military invasions and are still supporting a stronger Japan, that says a lot about China's threat.

Japan does not need to rearm. They already are.

They just need to change some words around in their constitution.

Can Japan afforf a rearmarment when they were already in huge debtsafter the 311 tragedies? China shall escalate her arms program and given up no first use of nuclear arsenals against a supposed nuclear armed state with it's 'controversial background'! The Philipinos might be very upset but there calls is out of touch with the real world!

China is the one being the most "warlike" in Asia

Well if America has never threatened to use nuclear attacks to China during the Korean war, maybe China never has to be nuclear armed! Until now America has nuclear bombers in Guam aiming at China that caused China's yearly defense budget raising! The isles conflict at sea with Vietnam,the Philipines, japan..were America's policy to escalte theatre situation to hostile for their own legitimated gun boat policy in asia when their country is at a steady decline after defeats!

In April, Chinese patrol vessels prevented the Philippine Navy from arresting a group of Chinese fishermen at the Scarborough Shoal

This is police actions, an obligation for Chinese government to protect her citizens! the Philipines has nothing legitimated their law enforcing over that maritime area! Thats not their land although is geograpically close to them!

Is comarade_captain above representative of Chinese thinking? If not, then he is just one extreme right-winger and we can ignore him.

If he is really representative of Chinese mainstream thinking, then I will be forced to change my mind.

Such talk of yours above is destabilizing and dangerous for the region. Japan should join these other nations in standing up to Chinese hegemony, right now. (Until China matures and is ready to promote genuine peace in the area.)

Let's start a war! Let's start a nuclear war! At the...

So sorry Japan does not want to drop our pacifistic constitution and rearm. Our warlike days are over and while we will defend will never attack. So if the Philippines wants defense they need to make their own Navy and Army.

So do you still support Abe?

I think that Japan should remove Article 9, maybe then people will take politics more seriously.

I'm not sure if Philippines understand what they are doing but it would definitely add fuel to the fire and could cause economic problems around the region.

I can understand if their ships are attacked and people injured but increasing tension at this moment and maintain its rise would cause a slow domino effect destroying the fragile world economy as we know it. We are living in such integrated economy where competition and cooperation is so much better than "let's see who die first" kind of approach.

Thomas it is NOT going to happen. One hand you criticize Japan for being nationalist and on the other criticize Japan for our pacifistic constitution. Make up your mind! Your stands conflict each other but do not worry gentle readers Article #9 is here to stay. Japan is not the "world's policemen" and the Self Defense Force is only to protect Japan. If the PI wants defense they should reopen the American bases. As a person I feel no need to defend other countries just Japan. The first atomic war ended badly for us. Japan needs to mind its own business and if China takes your islands you better put some money into defense. The Philippine military is a joke and the Americans have sunk better ships as target practice.

Thomas what makes you think I support "Honest Abe"? Think I will vote socialist this time. The other two have made a fine mess. Really me a LDP supporter?

pointless to rearm japan. no matter how much japan can afford to spend on the military, it'll not be enough. at the end of the day, it'll still lack behind. china is simply bigger. the only ones who benefits are the military industrial complex of japan & u.s.

Those islands are not china's . It would be like taking Hawaii or the virgin islands away from America or taking the Andaman Islands away from India! Its not theirs and they need to accept that fact.

Philippines backs rearmed Japan to 'balance' China

Yeah, because if anything balances an aggressive, million-member military, it's a nation of crabby old men with jet black hair dye lording over a nation of grass-eating anime addicts.

Balance means not only about man power and weapons but also $$$$$$. . Phillipines should foot the bill because it is richer and economy is booming.

One hand you criticize Japan for being nationalist and on the other criticize Japan for our pacifistic constitution

In theory, it should be EASILY possible to be a realist that supports defense while not being a nationalist (which for some reason is in-turn associated with being a Nanking-denier in Japan, though technically the two are NOT interlinked either).

Unfortunately, in Japan these things seem linked, so if I want defense I have to choose the nationalist Nanking-denier...

In that case I choose defense because I care about policies more than personal interpretations of history. But sad, really.

YuriOtani

One hand you criticize Japan for being nationalist and on the other criticize Japan for our pacifistic constitution.

Having military does not necessarily equal being nationalist. You see that belief in Japan was planted by the GHQ and then the left carried on the task. Japan can only afford to be without military because currently, the US will protect them. But how long will that last? It can't last forever. The US empire has been collapsing after 9/11.

You need to stop this deceptive notion that holding onto Article 9 will somehow make them "pacifists". It does not. Being opposed to war means making sure that war never starts in the first place. Japan is very behind in that department. Just because you have no military does not mean that there will be no war.

The 200-km missile range limitation should be dissolved.

MINAMITORISHIMA Island is 1,500km south of Tokyo. Japan should have missile that has range of 1,000km radius to protect the ocean between tokyo and MinamiTorishima Island.

Internationally, the Pacific Ocean in between Tokyo and Minami Torishima is legally owned by Japan, as also stated in the Archipelagic Principle described in the UNCLOS.

China Does not recognized that part of the ocean.

In february of this year, Japan discovered that the seas around MinamiTorishima has vast RARE-Earth metals that can supply Japan for 200 years or more.

There is a problem. Chinese submarines are everywhere in that ocean and now that there is Rare-earth metals there, China will definitely cut the pie.

So Japan should double the number of sumbmarines, at least 32 units with more than half as nuclear so that it can stay submerged in water for a long time.

Outheast Asia are not against for a rearmed Japan, India is also for a nuclear armed Japan. US, Germany and the rest of Europe are not against re-armed Japan but Japan is becoming too comfortanle under the protection of the declining US empire.

Japan will talk about this for the next hundred years or until only half of Honshu remains. Until then, they will have endless meetings, procastinations, wait until they retire to avoid making any substantial decision. So dream Philippines, Japan is the land of spineless people.

I find this part of the article very bias. By saying "suspected guerrillas" and some "local women" as well "according to historians" it leaves the Japanese occupation very under rated to what really happened. What it should of said >>>

Japan occupied the Philippines for more than 3 years blah blah blah ...........during which the war claimed over a million civilian lives also which the Japanese occupying forces engaged in the rape and forced prostitution of the local women.

now it sounds better ^, history needs to be told right.

"Japan occupied the Philippines for more than three years from December 1941, during which suspected guerrillas were tortured and executed, and some local women forced into prostitution to serve the occupying army.

The war claimed at least a million civilian Philippine lives, according to historians."

You need to stop this deceptive notion that holding onto Article 9 will somehow make them "pacifists". It does not. Being opposed to war means making sure that war never starts in the first place. Japan is very behind in that department.

Thomas,

??????? How many foreign civilians were killed by JSDF since 1945?

Letter to China's "People's Daily" online newspaper:

The US doesn't want war. But the PLA is fast pushing us into it. We will encourage Japan to shoot down your planes over the Senkakus. We will torpedo your naval incursions within Japanese territorial waters. You will respond and escalate. We will too. You will lose your major cities within minutes of confrontation, as we devastate Chongqing, Shanghai and Beijing. You will take out New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. And then, we'll finally have peace with you, if this is the only kind of peace you wish.