Great attention of the Japanese public and politicians, and foreign observers have been drawn to the progress report of the Ministry of defense of Japan “White paper on defense” that July 14 was presented at the meeting of the government. This is fundamental document in assessing surrounding Japan military-political situation and formulating her next intentions in the military field. This book is a jubilee — the 50th in a row.
In the report as the most likely enemies of Japan are China, Russia and North Korea. The rise of the role of science and technology in the military sphere, as well as the rapid development in three new areas of defense, space, cyberspace and the use of electromagnetic radiation.
Editorial articles on the event was noted by all the leading Japanese media.
Pro-government “the Sankei Shimbun” in the article “the White paper rightly highlights the growing threats to Japan from China” writes: “Sign this year is the growing concern about the actions of China, Wuhan, starting with the crisis of the coronavirus to the aggressive actions of China over the Senkaku Islands. This is called in the White paper are totally unacceptable. In this context, reasonable is put forward in defence doctrine position about an urgent task to contain such incongruous behavior of China. But this is not enough. Requires a clear indication that China is currently the main threat to Japan’s security. Any unnecessary diplomacy against China is misplaced. Prime Minister Abe and defense Minister Kono needs to maintain maximum rigidity in Japanese-Chinese relations”.
“The Sankei” was echoed by the mouthpiece of a large Japanese business newspaper “Nihon Keizai Shimbun Shimbun”. The article “the White paper underlines the growing threats in the surrounding Japan and the region,” she stressed “the danger of the ambitious plans of the Chinese leadership, which aimed at the conquest of China, the global hegemony and the restructuring of the world order according to the Chinese patterns.” The newspaper supported the initiative of the ruling LDP deployment in the country wide discussion on the legality of application by Japan of strikes on military targets on the territory of a potential enemy.
The growth of the global pandemic coronavirus responsible for Japan’s new threats. This, for example, the spread of infection to U.S. military installations. Japanese self-defense forces must be ready for laying on their shoulders the additional burden and risks associated with the deteriorating situation in the Asian region.
The most mass newspaper of Japan “Yomiuri Shimbun” highlights the danger to the country posed by North Korea. In the article “White paper: Japan needs to improve its defenses in response to growing threat” , the newspaper particularly points to the danger of Japan “secretive, hostile and treacherous North Korea.” Using small nuclear charges, it can suddenly hit Japan, and North Korean missiles with variable flight path are difficult to destroy. The newspaper writes: “the Japanese government itself shows the inconsistency in the elaboration of measures to counter external threats. A serious error was made in the preliminary calculations for the acquisition of us missile defense systems Aegis AoE. Such errors in the future should not be”. As for China, the “Yomiuri Shimbun” highlights “aggressive territorial encroachments” of Beijing against the Japanese territory and considers correct the harsh rhetoric of the White paper in this regard. In this context, the paper supports the plans of additional placing of cruise missiles in the West and South-West of Japan.
“Mainichi Shimbun” in the article “White paper: the need to strengthen the missile capabilities of Japan in connection with external threats” emphasizes the correctness is stated in the White paper policy of development of new defense directions. Russia and China have heightened the pace of developing new missile technology, which is very difficult to counter. Since may last year, North Korea has made 33 start-up of ballistic missiles of various basing, giving special attention to their speed and stealth. Today the North Korean missile could reach the territory of Japan in 1 minute. To detect the start very difficult. The emphasis is on the effect of surprise. Japan needs to find an effective “antidote” to these military preparations.
China and Russia are developing a new supersonic missiles that threaten Japan. The national security Council must devise a strategy to counter these new challenges.
Popular news portal Yahoo News Japan the material “White paper: China has sharply increased hybrid operation in the field of fake information and spreading false news” emphasizes those parts of the White paper, which referred to the sharp intensification of potential enemies of Japan the role of science and high technology in the military sphere, and also about the rapid development know-how in the field of hybrid war. So, the article States: “Special attention is drawn to paragraph 5 of Chapter 3 of the first part of the White paper, which says about the danger of using China’s “diplomacy around coronavirus”” aimed at undermining the existing world order and get one-sided benefits in achieving hegemonic goals.” This “under the guise of” China carries out aggression against the Senkaku Islands, acting by a method of “cutting the salami into small pieces” or the ancient Chinese way to “win without battle”. And now, April 19, China unilaterally announced the inclusion in their respective administrative area of the Nansha Islands (Spratly) and Xisha, thus, de facto occupying them. The white paper writes on this subject: “Thus, without resorting to military means, China is reshaping the current world order in their favor. The surrounding country occupied by liquidation of consequences of coronavirus, with increasing alarm, looking at these gross actions of Beijing and meet their strong dissatisfaction”.
Liberal “Asahi Shimbun” in the article “50 years of Japan’s White papers on defense” emphasizes that represented in 1970, its first edition, the then head of the Department of defense of Japan Yasuhiro Nakasone said: “the Strategy of national defence of the country most in need that people understood, supported and contributed to its implementation”. What kind of understanding can be discussed on examples of projects the purchase of American missile defense systems ground-based Aegis Ashore, having been abandoned due to errors in the calculations? Or representations of the Japanese government that the territory under a new us military base Futenma in Okinawa will soon be returned to Japan, while its construction for 12 years has already allocated about 10 billion dollars?
“Asahi” says: “the Security of the country today is not only limited to the military sphere. It’s economic, environmental, and even epidemiological safety. Therefore, the right in the White book stresses the importance of giving all large supra-departmental authority of the security Council of Japan, headed by the Prime Minister. The Council should develop a national security strategy based on broad popular consensus.”
“Hokkaido Shimbun” in an editorial “the Elaboration of projects for placement in the Japanese-American missile defense system ground-based Aegis Ashore was insufficient” emphasizes that “our Ministry of defense should seriously draw right lessons from past mistakes, to fix generating their causes and prevent their recurrence in the future”
We are talking about existing and subsequently discontinued projects of deployment of U.S. missile defense systems ground-based in the Northern prefectures of Akita and Yamaguchi. Turns out they are outdated and do not provide security of the local population at startup. And who will bear the responsibility? Who will bear responsibility for taken by the government to bypass Parliament decisions on the direction of Japanese military forces abroad? Or started also to bypass Parliament government discussions about the possibility of pre-emptive strike on enemy territory?
The newspaper writes: “White paper on defense does not answer these questions. Instead of painstakingly to purchase expensive American weapons, not better than our diplomacy to learn diplomatic methods contribute to reducing international tension?”
Comments Japanese readers
white bear
Exactly. China is our main enemy.
derusabu
Absolutely agree. And formulate the Chinese threat we need.
aides_haides
Until we achieve from people of understanding of our defense doctrine, we will win.
PGML3G
An article in the Asahi did not give any idea about how thuggish and aggressive, these are China and South Korea!
Inoue Taro
Finally, the White paper on defence clearly States about the military threat to Japan posed by China and North Korea’s new missiles that cover all the territory of our country. And no matter how much the Chinese foreign Ministry nor puffed up, calling a White paper “black”, this is China intruding into territorial waters of Japan and occupied the Islands of the Xisha and Nansha Islands, which are claimed a number of Asian States. Chinese hegemonism is the main threat to security in Asia!
can
What can Japan do with China’s aggressive actions? The impression that many in the world are China and South Korea. Pursuing a hard line against them, not put Japan itself isolated in the eyes of the world? Indeed, during the Second world war, we too were not perfect.
cambomaster
Read the White paper from year to year and from one year to notice that Japan is becoming less friends and more enemies. Maybe start with yourself? Well, at least to work more actively in the world health organization and attempts to ruin it? Or try to make G7 more useful to the world organization? And we think about we have selected the Takeshima!
café_suzunari
Well, what we have made of your White paper? The Chinese foreign Ministry immediately called her “black.” So who is the initiator of international disputes?
okeisan
And I feel that the White paper 2020 is well accepted by the people. We need to get tough with our enemies. Here are already talking about how to soften the rules of entry into Japan of Chinese and South Korean tourists after the epidemic, and that they suffer from nostalgia. And for me, so anything to mitigate is not necessary. Not allowed into Japan by Chinese and Koreans — here’s the best defense!
nipponichi
And in South Korea Japanese citizen sentenced to 6 years in prison for violating the social distance during the quarantine. Here you have all Korean-Japanese cooperation in the field of security!
nori
China called the White paper “black”. Screaming that it was all fiction. And where is their evidence!?
“China is fighting for world peace, stability and prosperity”. In fact: that China is the instigator of wars and conflicts.
“This year marks the 75th anniversary of the victory of China’s anti-Japanese liberation war.” In fact: in 2020 the 75th anniversary since the Americans saved Chinese people.
Chinese! Remember! In all the wars that Japan waged against you, it is never lost!!
