Chapter IX Military Security Ties with China
In 2015, Japan’s military security policies and ties against China featured the following four aspects：firstly, building up atmosphere and inventing excuses for domestic legislation breakthroughs of the security and defense bills and for military cooperation with foreign forces through overstating “ threats from China”； secondly, speeding up military deployment and anti-China preparation at the Southwestern Islands and the First Islands Chain, shaping the “islands fortification” situation； thirdly, by taking advantage of the US open engagement in the disputes of South China Sea, realizing a “military return” to South East Asian and strengthening cooperation with the concerned countries so as to muddy the water and contain China； taking minimum but necessary measures to maintain communications and to strive to gain control to some extent in case of abrupt emergency and crisis in the East Sea and the West Pacific.
In 2015, it could be said that the Japanese government would directly and indirectly exaggerate the “threat from China” as long as it involved national defense. In January, when the Abe cabinet approved of the defense budget of 420 billion yen, the main excuse that the Defense Minister offered was the “continually deteriorating peripheral situations”. In February, the Defense Ministry and the Joint Staff Office released and hyped the normal exercise and training of China’s ships and aircraft in the West Pacific area. In March, Gen Nakatani announced at the commencement ceremony of the Defense University that China’s continuous and fast increase in defense spending as well as the acceleration of military buildup was due to lead to unpredictable
situations. In April, according to the statistics released by the JSDF Joint Staff Office, fighters of the JASDF had 943 urgent take-offs in 2014, with 464 targeted on China and the fighters responsible for the Diaoyu Islands had 468 urgent take-offs. In May, at the Asia Security Summit, Gen Nakatani overstated the tense situation and called for the relevant countries to strengthen cooperation, with the obvious intension being to contain China’s land reclamation activities in the Nansha Islands. In June, according to Japanese media, Abe remarked that “the new security defense bills were in fact targeted on China—exercise of collective self-defense is a warning sent by Japan and the US to China.” In December, Japan and Australia held “2＋2” negotiations, releasing joint documents and expressing “strong concerns” about China’s move in the South China Sea. On December 11 , during his visit to India, Mr. Abe emphasized that shipping lanes in the South China Sea are of great significance to regional commerce and trade and security. He also appealed to the relevant countries not to take unilateral actions that might result in escalation of tensions.
In response to Japan’s intentional exaggeration of the so-called “China threat” and its moves, the Chinese government made formal representation with Japan and lodged protests. At high-level meetings between Japan and China, Chinese leaders repeatedly pointed out the problem and warned against Japanese moves. When meeting with Mr. Abe in Djakarta, President Xi Jinping pointed out that China firmly adheres to peaceful development and hopes that Japan will work together with China to contribute to international and regional peace, stability and prosperity. In July, in his meeting with Shotaro Yachi, Japan’s National Security Bureau Director, Premier Li Keqiang suggested that Japan should continue the policies of peaceful development and work together with other countries in promoting permanent regional peace, prosperity and development.
In November, during the ADMM-Plus, China’s Defense Minister Chang Wanquan held talks with his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani, urging Japan to learn from lessons from history, respect neighboring countries’ concerns, take cautious actions in military security and do nothing to the detriment of both China’s sovereignty and security and regional peace and stability. Spokesmen of China’s Defense Ministry and Foreign Ministry stated again and again that neighboring countries and international community had always been highly concerned about Japan’s policy moves in the field of military security. China hoped Japan, rather than exaggerating regional tensions, would take lessons from history, pay high attention to its Asian neighbors’ security concerns, take cautious actions in the field of military security, stick to peaceful development and make every effort to contribute to promoting mutual trust between neighboring countries for regional peace and prosperity. When asked to comment on Japan’s efforts to enhance defense cooperation and its participation in joint military exercises, the above-mentioned spokesmen warned that it should not
stir up potential disputes or conflicts so as to play up existing tensions.
Japan adopted a double-faced policy towards China （quoted from Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s speech at the news conference of National People’s Congress in March）. On the one hand, Japan never fails to play up the so-called “China Threat” or to promote measures to contain China； on
the other hand, it adopts necessary stance to discuss the issue of crisis management so as to ease tension. Taking into consideration bilateral relations and regional peace, China made reasonable, restrained and necessary response to Japan’s attitude which is lacking in honesty and sincerity. For example, in January, in the 4 round negotiations on maritime liaison mechanism held between the Defense Ministry of Japan and China in Tokyo, both sides acknowledged the consensus that had been reached on establishing the mechanism. They held discussions not only on details about maritime and aerial liaison mechanism but on relevant technical issues.
In March, a delegation led by Liu Jianchao, China’s Assistant Foreign Minister, paid a visit to Japan. During the visit, high-level officials from the defense and foreign ministries held“ Sino-Japan security dialogues” revolving around the security and defense policies and exchanged views on bilateral relations, defense and security policies and regional and international issues of shared concerns. In June, the Defense Ministries of Japan and China carried out director-level negotiations on signing the accord of maritime liaison mechanism. In late July, Defense Minister Chang Wanquan said that Japan’s dramatic adjustment of military security and its Diet’s approval of the new security defense bills would exert complex influence on regional security environment and strategic stability when he met with Shotaro Yachi, the head of the secretariat of Japan’s National Security Council, in Beijing. In November, in their first talks in the past four years, Defense Ministers of China and Japan agreed on the importance of initiating maritime liaison mechanism to avoid accidents and the significance of defense exchanges.
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