History cannot be forgotten! Alert to Japan's New Militarism Trends in the Asia Pacific Region | NATO | Trends

On August 15, 1945, Japan declared unconditional surrender. The shocking Nanjing Massacre, the infamous 731st Army of the invading Japanese army, and the inhumane "Three Glories Policy"... The invading Japanese army committed countless heinous crimes in China. However, Japan selectively "forgets" its history and only emphasizes its side as a "victim of war" in commemorative events such as the Hiroshima nuclear explosion. Some Japanese politicians also openly worship the Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Class A war criminals from World War II. Since last year, the Kishida government has made significant adjustments to its security and foreign policy, which has led Japan to abandon pacifism and return to militarism.

Analysts point out that Japan's new militaristic trend not only causes panic and unease among the Japanese people, but also exacerbates the vigilance and concerns of neighboring Asian countries and the international community about Japan's future development direction. On the occasion of the 78th anniversary of Japan's defeat, the Japanese side should deeply reflect on historical responsibilities, remember historical lessons, and avoid going further on the wrong path.

Breaking post-war taboos and seeking military relaxation

Since the end of World War II, Japan's right-wing has never abandoned its "dream of a political and military power". However, the clause in Article 9 of the Japanese Peace Constitution, which states "to renounce war, to renounce the exercise of force, and not to retain land, sea, air, and other combat capabilities," has put a "tight spell" on Japan's defense, becoming an obstacle to the realization of Japan's right-wing dream.

However, since the end of last year, the Kishida government has broken multiple taboos, effectively disregarding the peace constitution and achieving military relaxation. Firstly, through the new version of the National Security Strategy and three other security policy documents, we aim to gain the ability to attack enemy bases, break through the constraints of the peace constitution, and fulfill our commitment to defense. This marks a significant transformation in Japan's post-war security policy. Secondly, it is determined to significantly increase defense spending to match military expansion, and plans to achieve the goal of defense spending accounting for 2% of GDP in the fiscal year 2027, breaking the post-war Japanese government's basic practice of defense spending not exceeding 1%. Thirdly, lifting the ban on the export of weapons. The "Three Principles of Arms Export" that prohibited Japan from exporting weapons after the war have been replaced by the "Three Principles of Defense Equipment Transfer" during the reign of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Now, the "Three Documents" propose to modify the "Three Principles of Defense Equipment Transfer" and its details, attempting to significantly relax restrictions on arms exports.

The various signs of Japan's military expansion and readiness for war have sparked criticism and public concern in Japan. The Japanese anti war peace organization "Peace Concept Advisory Conference" issued a statement stating that the "Three Documents" will once again make Japan a country capable of launching war, thereby inciting an arms race in East Asia, which is an extremely dangerous move. Honorary professor at Yamaguchi University in Japan, Akihito, believes that the "three documents" will exacerbate tensions between Japan and its Asian neighbors.

Upgrade the alliance between Japan and the United States, link with NATO, and advance eastward

In recent years, the United States has taken the lead in building the "four sided mechanism" of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia in the Asia Pacific region, forming cliques and encouraging factions to confront each other.

Since taking office, the Kishida government has been determined to follow the United States and be willing to be the vanguard of the United States in the Asia Pacific region. The new version of the "Three Documents" for security upgrades the military alliance between Japan and the United States, switching from the original "Japanese defense and US attack" to the "joint attack and defense" mode. Therefore, Japan will purchase and install a large number of American made Tomahawk cruise missiles, develop high-speed glider missiles and hypersonic missiles in the next five years. Kishida's plan is to play low and play small in front of the United States, taking advantage of the opportunity to expand military capabilities, and seize the opportunity to move towards a "normal country" and a "military power".

The Kishida government is also actively expanding multilateral military cooperation, in addition to cooperating with the United States in building the US Japan India Australia "quadrilateral mechanism" in the Asia Pacific region, the US Japan South Korea military alliance, and small multilateral mechanisms such as the US Japan Australia and the US Japan Philippines, it has also linked NATO countries to intervene in Asia Pacific affairs, including holding joint military exercises with NATO countries in the Asia Pacific region, and Kishida himself attending NATO summits twice. At the NATO summit in July this year, Japan and NATO reached an agreement on a new military cooperation plan. The previous plan was upgraded to include new content such as network defense, addressing emerging technological challenges such as artificial intelligence, and space security. The number of cooperation areas increased from 9 to 16. However, at this meeting, the highly anticipated proposal by NATO to establish a liaison office in Japan was not approved due to opposition from France and others.

The trip to the Kishida NATO summit has been strongly opposed by many Japanese people, with protesters criticizing NATO as a war group that only poses a threat to world peace. The frequent interaction between the Kishida government and NATO is introducing war into the Asia Pacific region. 纐纐ばばばばばばばばばばばばばばばばばばばば\124.

During his visit to Taiwan this month, Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, Taro Aso, made a lot of remarks, exaggerating the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait, provoking confrontation, and rudely interfering in China's internal affairs.

During Aso's visit to Taiwan, his remarks were strongly criticized by Japanese intellectuals. The representative of the Future Japan China Research Association, Ichikawa Nishimoto, issued a protest statement stating that Taro Aso's rude words and actions are blatantly hostile to China, violate the Japanese Constitution that renounces the right to participate in war, violate the Japan China Joint Declaration and the Japan China Peace and Friendship Treaty, and undermine peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

Aso serves as a platform for the Democratic Progressive Party authorities, and his irresponsible remarks will lead Okinawa into war, which is extremely unethical.

In recent years, the Japanese government has intensified efforts to develop the southwestern islands, including Okinawa Prefecture, into military fortresses. In March of this year, the Ground Self Defense Force established a base on Ishigaki Island, deploying security and missile units, claiming to fill a long-standing defense gap. This is another base set up by the Self Defense Force on the southwest island, following Nagoya Island, Miyako Island, and Amami Island.

The above actions have been strongly opposed by Okinawa residents. They criticized the Japanese government for excessively strengthening its defense and military capabilities, making them feel the danger that Okinawa may once again become a battlefield. Okinawa Prefectural Governor Tani Yucheng issued a "Peace Declaration" at the memorial service for the victims of the Okinawa War in June this year, stating that the Japanese government is continuously strengthening its defense forces in Okinawa, causing anxiety among Okinawan people who have a deep memory of the war. He hopes that the Japanese government can alleviate regional tensions through dialogue. These statements clearly indicate that the residents of Okinawa want an island of peace, not a military fortress.