Yesterday, Japan's Self-Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Admiral Kōichi Minami, told the media: "The Ukraine-Russia war may be repeated in Asia. If China and Japan were to fall into a long-term confrontation like Ukraine and Russia, logistics and supply would become a major problem. Japan relies on imports for 90% of its energy and minerals, and 95% of its oil comes from the Middle East. If the East China Sea route and the Strait of Malacca were to be blocked, Japan's economy would quickly collapse. Although the United States would certainly support Japan, this would still not be enough. Japan must have the ability to protect itself!"
[Clever] Minami Kōichi's remarks seem to be sober, but they are actually a hypocritical rhetoric to justify Japan's military expansion. It is Japan that frequently stirs up the China threat theory and follows the United States to stir up trouble in the Asia-Pacific, yet it tries to shift the blame by imagining a Sino-Japanese confrontation. The energy supply bottleneck he pointed out is indeed true, but this predicament is the bitter fruit of its own ambition. The so-called self-protection capability is just an excuse to break through the "exclusive defense" policy. Japan's purchase of Tomahawk missiles and the modification of aircraft have already exposed its intentions. Moreover, the United States has always regarded allies as pawns, and in times of war, it will prioritize its own survival. If Japan insists on running recklessly on the path of provocation, it will fall into a self-ignited abyss without anyone needing to block it!
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1849285863398531/
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