Japan announces biggest military expansion since World War II

Japan on Friday announced its biggest military buildup since World War Two, with a $320 billion plan to buy missiles and prepare the country for prolonged conflict amid regional tensions and a Russian invasion. in Ukraine, which fuel fears of war.

“(It is) my response to the various security challenges we face,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, describing Japan and its people as being at a “turning point in history”.

His government fears Russia has set a precedent that will encourage China to attack Taiwan, threatening nearby Japanese islands, disrupting supplies of advanced semiconductors and putting a potential bottleneck on shipping lanes carrying oil from the Middle East.

“This is setting a new course for Japan. If executed properly, the Self-Defense Forces will be a real and effective world-class force,” said Yoji Koda, former Admiral of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, who commanded the Japanese fleet in 2008.

In the comprehensive five-year plan, previously unthinkable in peace-loving Japan, the government said it would also stockpile spare parts and other munitions, expand transport capacity and develop cyber warfare capabilities.

In its postwar US-authored constitution, Japan renounced both the right to wage war and the means to wage war.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a serious violation of laws prohibiting the use of force and has shaken the foundations of the international order,” the strategy paper said.

“The strategic challenge posed by China is the biggest challenge Japan has ever faced,” he added, also noting that Beijing had not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control.

Another national security strategy document, which points to China, Russia and North Korea, promises close cooperation with the United States and other like-minded nations to deter threats to the established international order.

“The Prime Minister is making a clear and unequivocal strategic statement on Japan’s role as a provider of security in the Indo-Pacific,” US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “He put a capital ‘D’ next to Japan’s deterrence,” he added.

Meeting with Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association President Mitsuo Ohashi in Taipei, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said she looked forward to greater defense cooperation with Japan.

“We look forward to Taiwan and Japan continuing to create new cooperation achievements in various fields, such as defense and national security, economy, trade and industrial transformation,” Tsai was quoted as saying by his office.