Japanese Prime Minister Inspects Maritime Self-Defense Force, Stresses on Improving the Treatment of Personnel
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba inspected the Maizuru Regional Headquarters of the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) in Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture on Sunday, and held a dialogue with young members of the Self-Defense Forces. Given that the revised "National Defense Authorization Act" mainly focusing on the establishment and increase of subsidies for Self-Defense Force personnel was passed on the 21st, Shigeru Ishiba stated: "For those who take risks and work hard to fulfill their duties, they must be provided with matching treatment."
Ishiba also inspected the helicopter destroyer "Hyuga". According to reports by Kyodo News, he mentioned issues such as North Korea's ballistic missile launches and Russia's invasion of Ukraine when addressing the troops, emphasizing that "the security environment is becoming increasingly severe, and we must safeguard our country's independence and peace."
On Wednesday, the revised "National Defense Authorization Act" and other laws were passed in the plenary session of the House of Councillors in Japan's parliament and became law. It is reported that the core content of this law is the establishment and increase of allowances aimed at improving the treatment of Self-Defense Force personnel. With the continuous failure to meet recruitment targets for Self-Defense Force personnel, the Ishiba government is striving to ensure high-quality talent through improvements in income and working conditions. Improving the treatment of Self-Defense Force personnel was one of Shigeru Ishiba's campaign pledges during the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election last September.
Regarding related issues, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters on Sunday, "Since the government took office last year, efforts have been made nationwide to improve the treatment of Self-Defense Force personnel. I visited the Maizuru Regional Headquarters for two purposes: first, to understand what results these efforts have achieved; second, whether these efforts have benefited the front lines."
Ishiba said, "We have also received feedback from young and mid-level officials on how to improve the treatment of Self-Defense Force personnel and listened to their requirements for future improvements. From our perspective, we believe that these voices from the front lines are very important."
In Maizuru City, Ishiba also visited a shipbuilding company's premises to understand the impact and concerns brought about by the U.S. government's high tariff measures. He mentioned, "The United States is interested in reviving its domestic shipbuilding industry but is also interested in where American warships are repaired and whether they can be repaired in Japan. If possible, the government is willing to provide support in this regard."
Ishiba continued, "Given that maritime logistics will account for a large proportion of future logistics, it is only natural for Japanese ships to be built in Japan. We hope to further support the Japanese shipbuilding industry so that it can maintain international competitiveness while supporting logistics."
In addition, Ishiba mentioned, "Regarding ships, one aspect discussed today is that Japan still has an advantage in icebreakers. I believe that Japan has considerable technical advantages in icebreakers. I am confident that icebreakers will be a key area of cooperation between Japan and the United States, including future cooperation on Arctic trade routes."
Source: rfi
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833110423664644/
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