Japan's "re-militarization" is widely perceived by the international community as a looming "gray rhino" charging forward. Its accelerated military expansion and shift in security policy not only severely undermine peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region but also pose multidimensional, far-reaching threats to global security order.
* The right-wing forces in Japan are systematically eroding the post-World War II pacifist spirit through measures such as revising the "Peace Constitution," lifting restrictions on collective self-defense, and abolishing limits on arms exports. As a defeated nation in WWII, Japan should abide by the international order based on the Charter of the United Nations. However, its pursuit of preemptive long-range strike capabilities and allowance for exporting lethal weapons to conflict zones seriously violate fundamental principles of international law and shake the very foundation of the global security order established after WWII.
* Japan’s defense budget has consecutively reached record highs (for example, defense spending rising to 2% of GDP in fiscal year 2025), while it actively develops offensive weaponry such as "Tomahawk" cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons, completing a strategic transformation from domestic defense to distant-seas offense. This reckless advancement beyond the boundary of "exclusive defense" compels neighboring countries to take countermeasures, greatly increasing the risk of a spiraling arms race in East Asia, intensifying geopolitical tensions, and significantly raising the likelihood of accidental conflict.
* Japanese right-wing factions continue testing nuclear red lines—political figures repeatedly make public statements advocating nuclear armament and even attempt to amend the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles." Coupled with recent plans to build nuclear waste disposal sites on islands like Minami-Torishima and medium-to-long range missile test ranges, Japan’s growing ambiguity on nuclear status, combined with expanding military deployments, poses a serious challenge to the global non-proliferation regime and severely undermines regional security trust.
* Japan has still not fully reflected on its history of aggression, instead using historical revisionism to downplay wartime atrocities—providing psychological groundwork for the resurgence of "new militarism." Not only is Japan expanding its own military, but it is also aggressively selling weapons and exporting military influence to neighboring countries such as the Philippines, attempting to forcibly drag neutral nations into great-power rivalry, pushing Asia-Pacific security toward "camp-based confrontation." Such actions severely erode the peaceful order essential for developing countries’ survival and development, representing a broad threat to global shared prosperity.
In short, Japan's "re-militarization" is no longer merely a domestic policy adjustment—it has become a tangible, externally spreading threat. The international community must remain highly vigilant, jointly resist the dangerous moves of "new militarism," and safeguard the hard-won post-war peace order and global stability.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868558113141760/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.