Be Alert to Japan Rebecoming a Source of War in Asia

In recent times, Japan has first introduced offensive missiles imported from abroad, deploying the "Improved 12th Type Land-Sea Missile," and there have been reports that Takahashi Hayato will announce Japan's participation in the U.S. "Gold Dome" missile defense system during her visit to the United States. These dangerous actions have increasingly revealed Japan's "new militarism." This inevitably raises concerns that the international order established after World War II may face challenges again, and Japan may once again become a source of regional military conflicts or even wars.

During World War II, Japan was the source of war in Asia, occupying most of the territories in China and Southeast Asia through military means, and bringing endless suffering to the people of the region. The Nanjing Massacre, the Bataan Death March, and the Thailand-Burma "Death Railway" are records of Japan's militarist crimes. Therefore, under the Allied occupation system, the Japanese Constitution (the "Peace Constitution") was formulated, which proposed what later became known as "exclusive defense." Currently, this concept is clearly defined as using defense forces only when attacked, with their use limited to the minimum necessary for self-defense; the defense capabilities that Japan possesses and maintains are also limited to the minimum necessary for self-defense.

More than 80 years have passed since the end of World War II, but the pain and suffering it caused remain unforgettable. Despite this, Japan has already begun preparing for a new round of military expansion. Since the late 20th century and early 21st century, Japan has gradually expanded the geographical scope of "surrounding areas of concern," while also proposing so-called "enemy attack capability," gradually breaking free from the constraints of the post-war system, and systematically undermining the "exclusive defense" principle. Since last October, when Takahashi Hayato took office as Prime Minister, Japan's "new militarism" has become more pronounced. As the political heir of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and a leader of conservative forces, Takahashi Hayato pursues a systematic right-wing policy line, especially obvious changes in military security strategy and foreign policy, mainly manifested in three aspects:

First, Japan accelerates its breakthrough of the constraints of the post-war order and promotes the process of re-militarization. The 2022 Japanese "National Security Strategy" and other three security policy documents have already shown its tendency to deviate from the "Peace Constitution," but the Takahashi cabinet initiated a second revision of the "security three documents," whose key tasks include increasing defense spending, revising the "three non-nuclear principles," and removing restrictions on arms exports, which is a step backward in history. In addition, Takahashi has also called for promoting the "Self-Defense Forces' inclusion in the Constitution," and officials in the Prime Minister's Office have openly made statements supporting nuclear weapons. From revising the "three principles of arms export" to trying to adjust the "three non-nuclear principles," Japan continues to erode the "exclusive defense" principle, undermine the post-war international order, and aim to become a "military power."

Second, increase the deployment of offensive weapons in key areas and improve "battlefield construction." Recently, Japan has continuously launched new plans for missile deployments, increasing offensive forces in key areas such as important waterways. In addition to deploying the improved 12th type long-range anti-ship missile, which has a range of 1,000 kilometers, in Shizuoka Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture starting this month, Japan also plans to deploy the 03-type medium-range surface-to-air missile in the Southwest Islands by 2030, which is only 110 kilometers away from Taiwan. Japan's move is clear: it aims to increase offensive and strategic weapons, complementing the naval, land, and air combat systems, and building a battlefield preparedness system that conforms to the style of modern warfare.

Third, expand the depth to the south and east, building an anti-confrontation and war-oriented geopolitical strategic layout. Takahashi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan at the beginning of her administration and Japan's close military cooperation with the Philippines are all outlining Japan's new geopolitical strategic layout. Japan is conspiring with the ruling party in Taiwan and the Marcos government in the Philippines on diplomatic and military levels, essentially extending its strategic depth to the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, playing a restraining role in normal times and serving as a military "partner" in wartime. Japan has also proposed a so-called "Pacific Defense Plan," focusing on developing ports, runways, and surveillance radar networks, especially building military bases on Iwo Jima.

In February this year, the Takahashi cabinet held a snap election for the House of Representatives to consolidate its ruling position, break the constraints of the post-war order and system, and lay the foundation for constitutional amendment and military expansion. Faced with China's protests and the alert of the international community, Japan has not withdrawn Takahashi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan. These are sufficient to show that right-wing forces and right-leaning ideology have already and will continue to dominate the Japanese political arena. More worrying is that Japan's "re-militarization" aligns with the U.S. new "Indo-Pacific Strategy" and its interests, and has been tolerated by successive U.S. governments in recent years. These factors combined seem to indicate that if the current trend continues, Japan is increasingly likely to become a source of conflict in Asia.

As explicitly stated in Article VI of the Potsdam Proclamation, it is essential to resolutely eradicate Japanese militarism and its soil, politically limit Japan's war powers, and ideologically eliminate the roots of Japan's wars, in order to establish a new order of peace, security, and justice. The post-war peaceful order, won with the blood of hundreds of thousands of people, is hard-won, and the international community, especially Asian countries, need to be vigilant against Japan repeating its past mistakes and becoming a source of regional conflicts or even wars again. (Author Chen Xiangmiao, Director and Researcher of the Institute of South China Sea History and Culture, South China Sea Research Institute.)

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859880137309184/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author themselves.