By stating China is a threat in clear, unambiguous words in its Defense of
Japan 2023 document, the Japanese government has set a typical example to the
whole world of how a thief cries "catch thief".
In the 32 pages of its digest version, "China" is mentioned 64 times to
portray it as "an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge" to Japan.
Among the charges that are leveled at China in the paper to support this claim
are the country is enhancing its military capabilities, making "unilateral
changes" to the "status quo" in the East China Sea and the South China Sea
through displays of force and intensifying its military activities in the Taiwan
Strait.
However, it is Japan that seeks to take these false charges as a pretext to
amend its so-called pacifist Constitution to enhance its military
capabilities.
As the defense paper itself states, Japan is planning to spend 43.5 trillion
yen ($322.2 billion) on defense in the coming five years, a significant increase
from 17.2 trillion yen in the 2019-2023 period. Further, its military spending
has already been increasing for more than a decade in a row when the country
does not face any imminent security threats.
Despite Tokyo claiming the nation is dedicated to self-defense, its defense
spending is already the third-largest in the world, and its average per capita
defense spending is much higher than that of China.
Japan has never discarded the ambition of seeking a re-rise to be not only a
regional but also global military power. And its de facto military forces can
only be described as world-class.
As for its shows of force in the South China Sea, Japan is acting like
someone who backs up an intruder who has entered someone's backyard waving a
gun, as vessels of the Japanese Self-Defense Force have sailed there many times
in moves aimed at emulating the US' repeated "freedom of navigation"
provocations.
And it is simply absurd for Japan, which officially recognizes the one-China
principle that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, to support the
secessionists on the island.
A simple review of history shows that Japan always seeks alliance with the
most powerful military force of the world, with the UK in 1902, Nazi Germany in
the 1930s and 1940, and the US in the postwar world. And it abused every
alliance to invade or threaten its neighbors. And it is now colluding with the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization to establish a regional "liaison office" in
Tokyo.
It called China "a threat" before invading China's northeastern provinces in
1931 and launching a full attack in 1937. Now, with the encouragement of the US,
Japan is openly threatening China once again.
But 2023 is not 1931 or 1937. China loves peace, and it has the capability to
defend peace. Under whatever excuse or with whichever ally Japan dares to
challenge China, it will only repeat the failure of 1945.
Tokyo should not be beguiled by the tune Washington is piping as it is only
leading it astray.
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