Japan announces biggest military expansion since WWII

Japan on Friday announced its largest military buildup since World War II, in a $320 billion plan to purchase missiles capable of reaching China and prepare the country for a protracted conflict amid regional tensions and a Russian invasion of Ukraine fueling fears of war.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described Japan and its people as “at a turning point in history” and said, “It is my answer to the various security challenges we face.”

His government fears that Russia may set a precedent that will encourage China to attack Taiwan, threaten nearby Japanese islands, disrupt the supply of advanced semiconductors, and create a potential bottleneck in shipping routes carrying oil from the Middle East.

“This sets a new course for Japan. If properly executed, the Self-Defense Forces will be a real and effective world-class force,” said former Admiral of the Maritime Self-Defense Forces Yoji Koda, who commanded the Japanese fleet. in 2008

In the comprehensive five-year plan, previously unthinkable in peaceful Japan, the government said it would stockpile spare parts and other munitions, expand carrying capacity and enhance cyberwar capabilities.

In its post-war US-written constitution, Japan renounced both its right to wage war and ways to do so.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a serious violation of laws prohibiting the use of force and has shaken the foundations of the international order,” the strategy document states.

“The strategic challenge posed by China is the biggest challenge Japan has ever faced,” he said, noting that Beijing does not refuse to use force to control Taiwan.

Another national security strategy paper pointing to China, Russia and North Korea promises close cooperation with the United States and other like-minded countries to deter threats to the established international order.

“The Prime Minister is making a clear and unambiguous strategic statement about Japan’s role as a security provider in the Indo-Pacific,” US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “It put a big ‘D’ next to Japan’s deterrence,” he added.

Meeting with Mitsuo Ohashi, Chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Stock Exchange Association in Taipei on Friday, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said he looks forward to further defense cooperation with Japan.

As quoted by Tsai’s office, “We look forward to Taiwan and Japan continuing to create new cooperation achievements in various fields such as defense and national security, economy, trade and industrial transformation.”