Conclusion：Where is Japan Heading for？
In summary, in 2015, Japan’s three main moves in the field of military security have drawn worldwide attention：Firstly, approving the new security bills mainly focusing on lifting the ban collective self-defense, sending forces overseas at any time and providing logistic support for other countries, and almost abolishing the conventional control for the purpose of elevating professional servicemen’s status and power； secondly, revising Guidelines for US-Japan Defense Cooperation, enhancing Japan-US joint engagement in regional, global and “global commons” security affairs； reinforcing military deployment and defense measures in the Southwestern Islands and the First Islands Chain--China’s territory, assisting the US with its engagement in the
disputes in the South China Sea in an attempt to achieve the goal of military return to South East Asia.
The most conspicuous one amongst the three moves is the breakthrough Japan made in security and defense legislation. For Japan, the approval of the new security bills that all but amounts a “constitutional coup”. Article 9 of Japan’s “pacifist constitution” stipulates that “the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes”, and “land, sea and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.” Yet, the new security bills allow the JSDF to carry out collective self-defense right, to send troops overseas, thus making Japan a “country capable of war”. As a result, the pacifist constitution has become hollow, and its exclusively defense-oriented strategy has been derailed.
The course of peaceful development that Japan has enjoyed for the past 70 years is now experiencing great turbulences. In view of this, the spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, “This is the unprecedented move Japan has taken in the field of military security after the Second World War. Recently, Japan has been stepping up enhancing military capabilities, drastically adjusting military security policies, which runs counter to the general trend of peace, development and cooperation of our times. The move has given rise to doubts from the international community as to whether Japan will give up its exclusively defense-oriented strategy and the post-war course of peaceful development.” Chinese Defense Ministry also stated that “Japan’s Diet insisted on approving the new security bills regardless of international and domestic opposition, causing unprecedented changes to Japan’s military security policies and breaking through the restrictions of the pacifist constitution. Opposing to the dominant trend of peace, development and cooperation of our times, and sticking to the Cold War thinking, Japans seeks to enhance military alliances and send forces overseas, inviting serious concerns from the Japanese people, its neighboring countries and above all, the international community.
The year of 2015 marked the 70 anniversary of the end of the Second World War. At such a historical moment, Japan, as a defeated nation, instead of reflecting on its history and seeking genuine reconciliation with neighboring countries, has been speeding up its efforts to rise as a
military power and push forward defense normalization. Apparently, what Japan has done causes concerns from neighboring countries and was detrimental to regional peace and stability. |
