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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013.Strong Japan will be no threat to Asia, says defense minister
By John O'Callaghan SINGAPORE©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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BertieWooster
NOTES:
(1) strengthen international order = support the U.S.A. and do what it tells Japan to do
(2) freedom = the illusion that you are free to do and say as you like
(3) democracy = another illusion to make it appear that the country is run by its people when In reality it's run by SOME of its people.
Disillusioned
What a load of contradictory crap! He starts out by stating a stronger Japan will not be a threat to Asia then every other statement is directed at the security in regional stability of Asia. Did this guy receive PR training from Hashimoto?
some14some
is Japan running trust deficit with US also? except economy everything seems in order. And for economy dynamism called 'Abenomics' is at work (claimed by PM Abe) !
justicetz
Firstly, Japan is getting weaker, impossible to be threat; Secondly, nobody trusts Japan, especially in Asia. Come back to focus on improving Japan's people living conditions, and make peace with your neighbours.
House Atreides
Most countries trust China even less. Next thing you know you'll have a strong Vietnam, a strong Philippines, and a strong India all in response to China's expansionist policies.
cramp
they have pandered to the right, now they're spinning it to pander to the left
Alexander Justday
Is it a Joke???
Sentiments
He is talking the way he should. This is typical political discourse. By the words aiming for security and regional stability he is saying that someone is causing instability. His arguments probably starts in a sense that we (and others) feel threatened and by beeing too small and peaceful we risk inviting regional bullies to take political control of all assets in the region. Since we accept our responsibility for regional stability we have no other choice than to increase the defense budget every year, starting now. Basically he states that they are doing what they have set out to do and it is not ideological but a civilized response to destabilizing events in the region. On a rhetorical level, not bad. What does he really mean? Your guess is as good as mine.
doctorshankar
in Asia China is the threat. and for the rest of the world including Asia it is the U.S.which is the threat. the U.S. is most undependable ally also.
nath
it makes one weep does it not. Knowing that his words have echos to the past. Every nation wishes peace, prosperity and posterity within there own borders, or more importantly, within the bounds of their political constituencies.
Yet in this world, were post-ww2 Americanization, and socio-capitalist globalization have all but dominated the western world, and now, the east.. surely we can lay down our arms, our geo-political, nationalistic rhetoric of stick and carrot.
When our very world is sustained through co-existence, were the very notion of civilization, its basis, its operation, and existence no-longer resides on the principles of isolationism.. but cooperation and understanding.
The only people who gain anything.. from such illusions are those who make money from petty conflicts. ..its sad is it not? knowing that the war that propelled this nation into global prominence at the opening of the 20th century, was funded by such individuals.. China and Japan are no different.. as long as we conspire with the merchants of death.
toshiko
{{{Asked whether Japan has plans to develop nuclear weapons, Onodera said: “We don’t think of doing that at all and we have three non-nuclear principles which we adhere to.”)))
Nuclear weapons have been in the world for a quite while. I wonder if some of Japan Inc, have been working to develop post-nuclear weapons.
chucky3176
First of all,
we've heard that before they went on a rampage throughout Asia. It would be different if Japan had shown to me that they really learned from their past mistakes. But as the only supposed victims in the war that they started, they haven't.
Second,
Japan is not strengthening. It will only get weaker economically, and sooner or later, militarily as a result of the former. Mr. Abe is so delusional, but he's not the only delusional Japanese unfortunately.
Third,
We all criticize the Chinese for their outrageous territorial claims throughout the Asian Pacific, but if you examine the territorial claims made by Japan throughout the Asian Pacific, you would know that Japan's claims are just ludicrous and outrageous as China's (and I will post the map that Japan claims as their own later). The only difference being, China got all the bad press in the West, while Japan got a big benefit of the doubt because they are allies. But as far as I'm concerned, Japan is no better than China, they are two of the same kind.
Takumi Saito
Well said
Shankun
Then who'll keep Chinese navy on hold in the region? Korea, Vietnam? Chinese are probing Japanese awarness every week with their submarines... Who's agressive?
Koreans do as well... With China and Japan. The pot calling the kettle black... They're just as agressive as Japan.
Tell me please what Japan as a country should do to show that they learned from their past mistakes? The're still pouring loads of money in Asia...
chucky3176
Shankun, Koreans don't claim vast swaths of the South Pacific, as the Chinese and Japanese do. People in the West will be surprised, how much marine territory that Japan claims as their own - it's actually even bigger than what China claims! It's ridiculous how Japan got away with a free pass!
Shankun
What? Kuriles, Senkaku and Takeshima you mean?
chucky3176
Far more, all the way to near Phillippines and Taiwan. They even claim the Korean island of Ullungdo as their own, if their territorial claim to the UN, goes into effect. Their claims overlap China's claims and their claimed area is even bigger than China's.
Kazuaki Shimazaki
That would be a new one. Even the Korean Wikipedia doesn't make such a claim (if there were any demi-credible or authoritative Japanese that made such a claim, it would be the first to scream).
Shankun
What's that? The continental shelf around Okinotorishima?
Utsuryoto has been abandoned by Japanese after San Francisco treaty. But Takeshima wasn't included in the document.
Alex80
Not, from USA. Remember: Japan does everything USA wants. Exactly like Europe. The fact we have USA bases in our countries isn't random, you know. Now, USA needs a nationalist Japan for its interests in Asia. If Japan and China were in good terms, it would be a serious problem for the USA. I don't want to say "ohhh, the USA are the bad guys", I'm just saying how the world works today (according to the will of the egemonic power - the USA).
kiyoshiMukai
Takeshima is a Japan territory its just that Koreans are playing a basketball game and we are waiting for them to end it.
karjai
is it strong korean and china in military is a threat to asian? if japan can strengthen their military why not korea and china can do it? dont criticised your neighbour if you did the same japan. beared in mind.
Kazuaki Shimazaki
@Karjai Let's put Korea aside for a moment and focus on China.
For 20 years, the world as a whole has been pretty tolerant of China as she developed her military capabilities. Compared to say the Soviet Union, China has taken very little flak for such a big buildup, nor has the world been too active in maintaining their correlation of forces against her.
But especially in the past couple of years, they have been increasingly taking off their "sheep's clothing" and starting to use their military as a back to throw their weight around.
Alex80
@karjai: South Korea is like Japan, USA's "territory". So if they strengthen their military is because the USA are ok with it. Same for Japan. It's so simple the matter...BertieWooster told everything. How do you think a country can develop its military like if it was really "its own independent military" when it is already occupied by the bases of another country? It's the same in Europe. In Italy we have the USA bases. We have "our military" but it follows simply American orders. So we went to Afghanistan, Iraq, even if Italians didn't want that. I know I'll get many thumbs down, because here there are many Americans, but it's a fact. You should go away, guys. Thanks for your help during the WWII, but it's over since 1945...Sigh.
BigdaddyJ
I'm all for a strong Japan, a strong South Korea and a strong Asia. The US has put its manufacturing power in Asia and thus remains only a military power. In today's world, economic power rules. With wage and price controls, Japan can reassert it's economic power. Stop outsourcing. This has hurt Japan and the US. Yes, Japan should join the nuclear club. It certainly has the right.
Alex80
The USA must leave Asia. If they leave Asia, Chinese won't feel the need to strengthen their military anymore, and I'm rather sure they can solve their disputes diplomatically. Despite the anti-Japanese propaganda in China, I read tons of comments from Chinese people who think that if the USA left Japan, they would accept to get closer to Japan, because Japanese are Asians like them anyway. I was surpised by these comments, but they aren't unusual at all.
toshiko
The US has put its manufacturing power in Asia and thus remains only a military power. .................................
No, Japan has been putting manufacturing power in Asia.
Japan has already put its manufacturing power in USA for many decades.