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A deep sense of anxiety grips China whenever Japan, engages in military and security-related activities. On March 26, as Japan removed restrictions on transfer of defence technology in order to allow the worldwide export of advanced fighter jets that it is jointly developing with Italy and the UK, China expressed its concern on the development.
“China noted relevant reports and expresses grave concern over the decision. Given Japan’s not-too-distant history of militarist aggression, Japan’s military and security moves are closely watched by its Asian neighbours and the international community,” China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said.
The Japanese government-led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida approved revised export rules on transfer of defence equipment and technology after the ruling outfit, the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Komeito Party agreed on these rules, according to a report in The Japan Times.
As per revised rules, Tokyo can export fighter jets which are being developed jointly by Japan along with Italy and the UK. They are expected to be deployed by 2035 to a third country. Work on the fighter jet development is currently in the design phase and three countries aim to “draft specifications and performance in the next five years or so,” Japan’s Defence Minister Minoru Kihara said. These warplanes will not be sold to a nation where conflict is taking place, the Japanese Defence Minister said.
But China fears that Japan will export these warplanes to Beijing’s rivals in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and South Asia regions. Particularly, its concern is in the immediate neighbourhood as Japan has drawn a new 10-year roadmap to strengthen its defence relations with Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
In November 2023, under the Official Security Assistance (OSA) framework, Japan agreed to provide $4 million worth of coastal surveillance radars to the Philippines. Tokyo is also helping the Philippines in enhancing its Air Domain Awareness capabilities through the supply of air surveillance radars.
In December 2023, Tokyo and Manila agreed for the early conclusion of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA)—a pact that provides the legal framework for greater bilateral security cooperation, The Yomiuri Shimbun said. Once Japan and Philippines conclude RAA, the armed forces of the two countries will get access to each other’s bases and undertake rotational deployment of troops and begin joint exercises.
To further strengthen security arrangements in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan along with the Philippines and the US will have a trilateral summit in Washington DC on April 11. Japan’s NHK World said it will be the first such meeting between leaders of three countries. The meeting is expected to strengthen the ironclad alliances between the three countries. A year ago, Japan had a trilateral summit with South Korea and the US in Camp David, lying a few kilometres away from Washington DC.
With Malaysia, Japan’s defence and security engagement is witnessing a significant turnaround. During his visit to Malaysia on November 4, 2023, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to “accelerate coordination for the implementation of the OSA and concurred to further strengthen cooperation in the maritime field, including joint training and exchanges between the Japan Self-Defence Forces and the Malaysian Armed Forces as well as joint training between coast guard agencies of the two countries,” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Japan has already agreed to provide $2.8 million to Malaysia to boost its maritime security.
With Vietnam, Japan has agreed to deepen military cooperation to maintain a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the South China Sea. During Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong’s visit to Japan in November 2023, the two countries had concurred upgrading Tokyo-Hanoi ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Japan had also agreed to provide weapons and defence technology to Vietnam under the OSA framework which is under discussion between the two countries.
Japan has also agreed to provide the Indonesian coast guard with a patrol vessel worth $63million to help Jakarta enhance its maritime capability. Along with such moves, Japan has been enhancing its spending on defence year after year even as it has been busy in readjusting its security policy and sealing defence pacts with its friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific region in recent years.
It launched the National Security Strategy (NSS) two years ago with the aim to establish a new framework that would provide equipment and assistance for infrastructure development to like-minded countries. Japan has planned a record $290 billion as defence outlays for five years, beginning from fiscal 2023. On the back of such measures, Japan’s decision to develop fighter jets with the two NATO members and sell them to a third country, has unnerved China.
“In recent years, Japan has been drastically readjusting its security policy, increasing defence spending year after year, relaxing restrictions on arms export and seeking military breakthroughs. These moves trigger serious concerns among Japan’s neighbouring countries and the international community,” China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said.
“We urge Japan to earnestly respect the security concerns of neighbouring countries, deeply reflect on its history of aggression, commit itself to the path of peaceful development and earn the trust of its Asian neighbours and the international community through concrete actions,” he added.
But Japan appears ready to ride a roughshod over China’s pretensions as Beijing, using all falsehood, continues to lay claims over South and East China Seas and the Taiwan Strait. Beijing’s such behaviour has given birth to a radically altered geo-security situation in the Indo-Pacific region. Faced with such alarming conditions, Japan’s pacifist idealism has given place to pragmatism.
While churning is within Japan’s ruling establishment on hosting US nuclear weapons facilities on Japanese soil, Tokyo has not ruled out developing the capability to strike at enemy bases.
“China noted relevant reports and expresses grave concern over the decision. Given Japan’s not-too-distant history of militarist aggression, Japan’s military and security moves are closely watched by its Asian neighbours and the international community,” China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said.
The Japanese government-led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida approved revised export rules on transfer of defence equipment and technology after the ruling outfit, the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Komeito Party agreed on these rules, according to a report in The Japan Times.
As per revised rules, Tokyo can export fighter jets which are being developed jointly by Japan along with Italy and the UK. They are expected to be deployed by 2035 to a third country. Work on the fighter jet development is currently in the design phase and three countries aim to “draft specifications and performance in the next five years or so,” Japan’s Defence Minister Minoru Kihara said. These warplanes will not be sold to a nation where conflict is taking place, the Japanese Defence Minister said.
But China fears that Japan will export these warplanes to Beijing’s rivals in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and South Asia regions. Particularly, its concern is in the immediate neighbourhood as Japan has drawn a new 10-year roadmap to strengthen its defence relations with Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
In November 2023, under the Official Security Assistance (OSA) framework, Japan agreed to provide $4 million worth of coastal surveillance radars to the Philippines. Tokyo is also helping the Philippines in enhancing its Air Domain Awareness capabilities through the supply of air surveillance radars.
In December 2023, Tokyo and Manila agreed for the early conclusion of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA)—a pact that provides the legal framework for greater bilateral security cooperation, The Yomiuri Shimbun said. Once Japan and Philippines conclude RAA, the armed forces of the two countries will get access to each other’s bases and undertake rotational deployment of troops and begin joint exercises.
To further strengthen security arrangements in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan along with the Philippines and the US will have a trilateral summit in Washington DC on April 11. Japan’s NHK World said it will be the first such meeting between leaders of three countries. The meeting is expected to strengthen the ironclad alliances between the three countries. A year ago, Japan had a trilateral summit with South Korea and the US in Camp David, lying a few kilometres away from Washington DC.
With Malaysia, Japan’s defence and security engagement is witnessing a significant turnaround. During his visit to Malaysia on November 4, 2023, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to “accelerate coordination for the implementation of the OSA and concurred to further strengthen cooperation in the maritime field, including joint training and exchanges between the Japan Self-Defence Forces and the Malaysian Armed Forces as well as joint training between coast guard agencies of the two countries,” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Japan has already agreed to provide $2.8 million to Malaysia to boost its maritime security.
With Vietnam, Japan has agreed to deepen military cooperation to maintain a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the South China Sea. During Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong’s visit to Japan in November 2023, the two countries had concurred upgrading Tokyo-Hanoi ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Japan had also agreed to provide weapons and defence technology to Vietnam under the OSA framework which is under discussion between the two countries.
Japan has also agreed to provide the Indonesian coast guard with a patrol vessel worth $63million to help Jakarta enhance its maritime capability. Along with such moves, Japan has been enhancing its spending on defence year after year even as it has been busy in readjusting its security policy and sealing defence pacts with its friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific region in recent years.
It launched the National Security Strategy (NSS) two years ago with the aim to establish a new framework that would provide equipment and assistance for infrastructure development to like-minded countries. Japan has planned a record $290 billion as defence outlays for five years, beginning from fiscal 2023. On the back of such measures, Japan’s decision to develop fighter jets with the two NATO members and sell them to a third country, has unnerved China.
“In recent years, Japan has been drastically readjusting its security policy, increasing defence spending year after year, relaxing restrictions on arms export and seeking military breakthroughs. These moves trigger serious concerns among Japan’s neighbouring countries and the international community,” China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said.
“We urge Japan to earnestly respect the security concerns of neighbouring countries, deeply reflect on its history of aggression, commit itself to the path of peaceful development and earn the trust of its Asian neighbours and the international community through concrete actions,” he added.
But Japan appears ready to ride a roughshod over China’s pretensions as Beijing, using all falsehood, continues to lay claims over South and East China Seas and the Taiwan Strait. Beijing’s such behaviour has given birth to a radically altered geo-security situation in the Indo-Pacific region. Faced with such alarming conditions, Japan’s pacifist idealism has given place to pragmatism.
While churning is within Japan’s ruling establishment on hosting US nuclear weapons facilities on Japanese soil, Tokyo has not ruled out developing the capability to strike at enemy bases.
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(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2024 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)
Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.