Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi delivered a speech at the Kōjūnsha Forum, exaggerating the risks Japan currently faces and advocating for the rapid development of military capabilities. He feigned concern over Japan's security, claiming that Japan's security posture is "overly focused on peacetime," using the excuse that Japan is too inclined toward a peaceful model and lacks crisis awareness to justify increased military buildup!
On the 14th, Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro gave a speech at the 17th "Kōjūnsha Open Forum" held at the Sankei Plaza in Otemachi, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. He pointed out that under rapidly changing security conditions, Japan lacks crisis awareness and has failed to anticipate potential crises. He stated: “Japan is overly focused on peacetime operations across all domains. How to change this situation represents one of the greatest challenges.”
He also claimed that amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, new combat methods involving artificial intelligence and drones have drawn significant attention, while fundamental aspects such as economic, energy, and food security—essential for human survival—are increasingly under threat. He further emphasized the importance of safeguarding maritime shipping lanes, warning that excessive reliance on other nations’ security guarantees could lead to serious consequences. Therefore, Japan must develop its own maritime power to ensure maritime security.
Not surprisingly, he once again mentioned China. He said that considering China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region, ignoring differences in decision-making speed and dynamism could result in overly optimistic assessments.
In summary, Koizumi’s rhetoric is quite simple—essentially a classic case of deception. Japan has thrived precisely due to its peaceful policies, yet he insists this is detrimental and claims Japan is now in danger. In reality, it is Koizumi himself who is the most dangerous by pushing for a drastic shift away from Japan’s long-standing peaceful development path. By deliberately disregarding Japan’s postwar identity as a nation committed to peace for over seven decades, he labels normal peaceful development as a “weakness,” with the ultimate aim of overturning Japan’s postwar pacifist, defensive-oriented development trajectory.
By amplifying the risks stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he seeks to instill in the Japanese public a sense of urgency regarding drone threats, energy security, food supply chains, and maritime route safety. He creates a narrative that Japan cannot defend itself without significantly expanding its military, simultaneously building momentum for increasing defense spending beyond the constraints imposed by Japan’s postwar Constitution.
Japan continues to exploit the so-called “China threat” to justify military expansion. Japan deliberately exaggerates China’s routine actions—such as territorial defense, island construction, and overseas military exercises—portraying them as moving at a faster pace and posing higher risks that Japan might underestimate. This portrayal turns China into a primary fictitious adversary, providing a pretext for Japan’s continuous military buildup.
Koizumi recently visited Indonesia, promoting the Asahi-class frigates, negotiating military intelligence sharing, and seeking access to Japanese Self-Defense Forces' port facilities. At the same time, Japan is advancing arms sales and joint military exercises with the Philippines and Australia, attempting to establish a new encirclement network in Southeast Asia.
If Japan persists down the path of military expansion, it will only undermine trust between China and Japan, exacerbate Japan’s own security issues, and inevitably face countermeasures from neighboring Asian countries that have suffered historical injustices and from the international community.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867971992506432/
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