What Germany is the “turning point” is Japan the “turning point”: Tokyo is pumping massive amounts of money into its military build-up in the coming years. In addition, taxes will also be raised. The government refers to Russia, China and North Korea as justification.
Japan is massively upgrading as part of its strategic reorientation. The government plans to spend $320 billion on the military over the next few years, according to national security strategy papers. According to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s plans, military spending is to be doubled to about two percent of economic output over the next five years. Kishida himself spoke of a “turning point” for his country. China, in particular, is increasingly at risk, the reason given.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could set a precedent and prompt China to do something similar with Taiwan. The government in Beijing has not ruled out integrating Taiwan by force. China regards the island as a breakaway province. The security situation around Japan is currently deteriorating very quickly, the paper says, also with a view to North Korea’s missile tests.
China accused Japan of making false claims about China’s military activities in the new security strategy, according to a statement from its embassy in Japan. In contrast, the United States and Taiwan welcomed the announcement. “The Prime Minister has made a clear, unequivocal strategic statement on Japan’s role in the security architecture of the Indo-Pacific,” said US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said she expects stronger defense cooperation with Japan.
Japan wants to buy missiles within range of China and develop a new fighter jet together with Great Britain and Italy. Other items on Japan’s shopping list for the next five years include anti-missile interceptors, attack and reconnaissance drones, satellite communications equipment, Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth aircraft, helicopters, submarines, warships and heavy transport aircraft. To finance the Japanese government wants to raise taxes. But this is also controversial within the ruling party. Details are still open.
In Japan, the armed forces have been subject to powerful legal barriers since World War II. The Japanese constitution was drafted after 1945 by the victorious power USA. Since 1976, Japan had committed itself not to spend more than one percent on armaments.
In 2015, Kishida’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, made the biggest change in Japanese defense policy since the army was rebuilt in 1954. Despite violent protests from the population, he pushed through a new military doctrine which, for the first time since the Second World War, has enabled Japanese soldiers to fight abroad again. The reform introduced the right to “collective self-defense” to support attacked allies, even if Japan itself is not attacked. Previously, the Japanese armed forces were only allowed to be used in self-defense.
