Japan Issues New Defense White Paper, Makes Excuses for Military Expansion
(Source: Global Times; issued Aug 09, 2017)
Japan's cabinet approved the 2017 defense white paper on Tuesday, which devotes 34 pages to China's maritime activities in the East and South China Seas, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The white paper pointed out that the number of aerial scrambles Japan made against Chinese aircraft hit a record high up to March 2017. "There is a possibility that their naval and air activities will pick up in the Sea of Japan from now on …We need to keep a close eye on the Chinese naval force's activities," the white paper said.
Japan is making "irresponsible remarks on China's national defense system" and mudding China's normal and justified maritime activities in the East and South China Seas as "attempts to change the status quo through coercion," Xinhua reported. Japan's move would jeopardize peace and stability in the region, Xinhua said.
"The white paper reveals Japan's maliciousness toward China. Japan's decision to hype China's threat, especially in the South China Sea, is aimed at creating trouble for China with the ongoing ASEAN meetings. Despite the easing of South China Sea disputes, Japan is trying to incite some countries to take a tough stance against China," Hu Lingyuan, a professor at the Japanese Research Center of Shanghai-based Fudan University, told the Global Times.
Japan wants to show that it can cooperate with the U.S. in the Asia-Pacific region to contain China, Hu said, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump seems to be carrying out the Obama administration's Asia strategy with frequent U.S. destroyer cruises to the South China Sea, which offers Japan an opportunity to further strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance.
"Knowing that the U.S. is more sensitive about China's rise, Japan also hopes the U.S. increases its presence in the South China Sea," Hu said.
Lu Hao, a research fellow at the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Japan has always been on guard on China and more content on China has been included in its defense white papers in recent years, which always give a negative evaluation, including the transparency of China's military construction and maritime activities.
"The defense white paper, which does not objectively reflect on Japan's security situation, has been used as a political tool to gain public support," Lu told the Global Times.
The white paper devotes a special chapter to the highly controversial security laws which were forcefully enacted and allow Japanese forces to fight abroad, claiming that the laws increased the deterrent capabilities of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, ignoring the fact that the majority of legal experts in the country consider the laws unconstitutional, Xinhua reported.
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Chinese Military Firmly Opposes Japan's Defense White Paper Hyping up "China Threat"
(Source: China Military Online; issued Aug 09, 2017)
The Chinese military is firmly opposed to the China-related contents in Japan's defense white paper and lodges solemn representations to the Japanese side, Chinese Defense Ministry's spokesperson Wu Qian said on Tuesday.
The official website of China's Ministry of National Defense published on Tuesday night a written statement made by Senior Colonel Wu.
Japan claimed in its defense white paper that "China tried to change the status quo in East China Sea and South China Sea based on its own assertions, and this has become a common concern of the region and the world at large."
As a matter of fact, it is Japan that is trying to change the status quo and has caused concerns in the international community, said the statement.
Wu pointed out in the statement that it is known to all that Japan has adjusted its military and security policies, tries to amend the Pacifist Constitution, makes vigorous expansion of armaments and conducts highly targeted military deployments; and in addition, it has actively meddled in the South China Sea affairs as a country out of the region.
Japan's intention of changing the status quo has been exposed by all these actions, which are undermining regional peace and stability and causing common concerns in the international community, the statement said.
More so, Japan is telling lies in broad daylight, questioning the direction of China's military development and accusing China's national defense and military policies of lacking in transparency, the statement said.
China firmly pursues the defensive national defense policy and military strategy of active defense, actively expands military exchanges, and extensively participates in peacekeeping, escort and humanitarian aid operations, fully demonstrating the fine image of its armed forces and sense of responsibility of a responsible major country, said the statement.
Why does Japan turn a blind eye to these facts? Why does it keep telling lies to deceive the international community? What's its real intention? The international community should be highly alert.
Japan also claimed that Chinese public service vessels have frequently "encroached upon Japan's territorial sea". But the fundamental fact is that the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islets are China's inherent territory, which is fully evidenced by historical and legal documents, and China's legitimate activities within its territorial sea will continue as a routine, said the statement.
Wu urged in the end of the statement the Japanese side to reflect on history, respect facts, and stop its groundless accusation of China and deception of the international community.
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