Ignorance or Intentional? Koizumi Shinsaburō Calls Self-Defense Forces "Military"
As reported by Asahi Shimbun on April 21: Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinsaburō posted on X (formerly Twitter) on the 19th regarding "Admiral Saito Satoshi and Australian Navy officials," describing their relationship as "friendship between military personnel."
According to the Japanese government's stance so far, "the Self-Defense Forces are different from the general concept of a military." On April 21, during a press conference, Koizumi explained that by saying "military," he meant to "easily convey the relationship built through high-level exchanges and cooperation."
He stated that Saito has a "close relationship" with an Australian lieutenant general and wrote: "Friendship between military personnel is also a significant force in Japan-Australia relations."
When asked at the press conference on April 21 about the true meaning of the term "military," Koizumi pointed out that "the Self-Defense Forces are different from a military," but added: "According to international law, the Self-Defense Forces possess attributes of a military."
Original: toutiao.com/article/1863048009697292/
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