Japan is alarmed in its latest “white paper” on defense published this Friday of the new threats posed by Russia and is concerned about the increasing pressure that China exerts on Taiwan.
The Japanese Defense Ministry’s annual report devotes an entire chapter to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying it risks sending the message that “an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force is acceptable.”
Russia could also be weakened by this conflict, which could push it to “further strengthen its relations with China”, still worrying the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
Moscow may increasingly resort to nuclear deterrence
Their white paper, which reviews global geopolitical risks as well as specific threats to Japan, also notes that Moscow could increasingly resort to nuclear deterrence, which could lead to increased activity around Japan, where they regularly circulate. Russian nuclear submarines.
Japan has joined Western sanctions against Russia and has since seen the Russian military presence near its territory intensify. In May, Russian and Chinese bombers mostly flew together near the archipelago.
The 2022 white paper also dwells extensively on Taiwan, noting that “since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan has sought to further strengthen its self-defense efforts” in the face of the threat Beijing poses to its territory.
Japan, which is also worried about China and North Korea for its own security, should significantly increase its defense budget. This has been rising steadily for years, but Japan still has the lowest military spending among the G7 countries relative to their respective GDPs.
Source: BFM TV
