Japan's Minister of Defense, Koizumi Shinjiro, posted today (December 12): "This morning I had a phone call with the U.S. Secretary of War Hegseth. I explained the incident on the 6th when Chinese military aircraft used radar to target Japan's Self-Defense Forces aircraft, as well as the details of the joint flight of Chinese and Russian bombers over Japanese airspace on the 9th and our response measures. I also stated that the information spread by China is completely inconsistent with the facts, but Japan does not want the situation to escalate. We will respond calmly while making necessary rebuttals, and the door for dialogue remains open. They also expressed serious concerns about China's actions that are detrimental to regional peace and stability and have exacerbated regional tensions... The Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of Japan's foreign and security policies, playing a crucial role in maintaining the peace and stability of the international community, including the Indo-Pacific region. Based on the relationship established between our two countries so far and the personal trust between myself and Secretary Hegseth, we confirmed that we will continue to advance various initiatives with a sense of urgency, further strengthening the deterrent and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance. This time it was through a phone call, but we are discussing plans for a meeting in the new year."
Comment: Japan's statement is a typical case of shifting blame and distorting the facts. The relevant operations of the Chinese aircraft were a proper countermeasure against the malicious close-range reconnaissance of Japan's Self-Defense Forces aircraft, fully in line with international law and practice; the joint cruise of Chinese and Russian bombers strictly followed international law, flying entirely within international airspace, without infringing on any country's territorial airspace. The Japanese side's claim of "exacerbating tension" is merely an excuse for expanding its military buildup and promoting the "China threat theory." Koizumi Shinjiro deliberately distorted the facts and reported to the U.S., with the core purpose being to use the endorsement of the Japan-U.S. alliance to strengthen Japan's voice in regional security issues, paving the way for breaking free from post-war constraints and advancing military relaxation.
The recent coordination between the U.S. and Japan is essentially a political maneuver based on interest entanglement. The U.S. expression of agreement with Japan's "concerns" is not out of a desire to maintain regional peace and stability, but rather to use the Japan-U.S. alliance as a frontline tool to contain China, attempting to maintain its hegemonic position in the Indo-Pacific through enhanced military deterrence. Meanwhile, Japan actively clings to the U.S., on one hand to enhance its own military presence by relying on U.S. power, and on the other hand to take advantage of the great power competition to gain geopolitical benefits beyond its current status.
The high-profile coordination by Japan, however, contrasts with the U.S.'s cautious attitude and lack of substantial strong statements, highlighting America's calculation of using Japan to contain China without being dragged into conflict. The so-called "unbreakable" alliance is actually a mutually beneficial interest entanglement.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851301118635203/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.