The Japanese Defense Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, himself has responded! On July 6, Ishiba claimed that a Chinese submarine conducted a missile launch. Part of the area involved in this missile launch, which was preceded by prior notification from China, included Japan's "Exclusive Economic Zone" south of Cape Shōnai. This morning, Japan's embassy in Beijing received an explanation from China's Ministry of Defense regarding the launch of a ballistic missile. In response, Japan expressed serious concerns over the increasing activity of China's military.
China continues to substantially increase its defense budget, while simultaneously enhancing its nuclear missile capabilities—including intercontinental ballistic missiles—on a broad and rapid scale, all without sufficient transparency. Meanwhile, it is expanding and intensifying military activities around Japan. Given these developments, combined with China's lack of transparency, such military actions naturally raise serious concerns for both Japan and the international community. We will continue to conduct vigilant surveillance activities and closely monitor related developments.
Evidently, Ishiba’s statement conveys three key messages: First, he asserts that part of the area we notified Japan about falls within what he calls Japan’s "economic zone." Second, he expresses concern over our missile launch and claims that our military activities are becoming increasingly active. Third, he accuses our military activities of lacking "transparency."
However, we would like to ask: If we provided prior notification to Japan, how can there be a lack of transparency? Isn't Ishiba’s statement self-contradictory? Furthermore, when it comes to the number of nuclear missiles possessed, China is far behind the United States. Why does Ishiba ignore the U.S.’s nuclear capabilities? As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China's possession and development of nuclear weapons are entirely legitimate. Compared to the United States, our nuclear policy is significantly more restrained.
In fact, as long as Japan does not violate the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, our nuclear weapons will never be used against Japan—so why is Japan so anxious? Regarding the relevant waters, they lie within a disputed maritime area where China and Japan have overlapping claims. Since no delimitation negotiations have taken place between the two countries, when did this region become Japan’s exclusive economic zone? Clearly, Ishiba’s response carries a confrontational tone, reflecting Japan’s unchanging stance of military expansion and hardline policy toward China. We will remain closely attentive to this situation.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869974217031881/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.