Japan trying hard to justify militarism in defense report

The recently published Defense of Japan white paper is the 50th issue of its kind. Instead of reviewing past lessons, the country's Ministry of Defense this year resorts to hyping imagined fears, speculations and fake security narratives. The paper is turned into a desperate search for ways to justify Japan's military euphoria and military alliance with the United States.

In the preface of the white paper, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara cites emerging geopolitical and geostrategic trends to predict a new era of crisis, thus justifying his country's strategy to push through dramatic changes in its defense policy.

The white paper states that "for more than 30 years, China has sustained high-level growth of its defense budget without transparency". Yet China's defense budget has been made public to the world every year, and the rise has been generally shy of its GDP rate. On the other hand, Japan has hiked its military spending sharply for several consecutive years despite a stagnating GDP.According to a report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the 2023 budget for the Japan Self-Defense Forces was 26 percent higher than that for 2022.

The white paper further claims that "China has intensified its military activities around Taiwan". Taiwan is a part of China, and ever since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Tokyo, Japan has recognized the one-China principle.

Besides, China's military activities are in response to the collaboration between separatists in Taiwan and external forces.

Interestingly, since Japan mentioned Taiwan for the first time in its white paper in 2021, it has increased its emphasis on this topic. This stance ignores the fact that Japan is breaking its own pledge of observing the one-China principle and has failed to respect China's full sovereignty over Taiwan. Japan is simply coordinating with US strategy and encouraging the reckless activities of the separatist forces in Taiwan.

Hyping and smearing China expose Japan's real intention to portray the Taiwan question as an explosive one, to pave the way for the introduction of NATO into the Asia-Pacific, and, for its own aggressive policy, to relive its military expansion dreams.

Moreover, Tokyo's historical enmity with Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea vividly reflects the US' invisible pressure and NATO's strategic incursions in the region.

"The alliance with the United States is the cornerstone of our national security policy", claims the white paper. It seems that the whims and wishes of the US and the West have forced Japanese policymakers to deliver a direct and unprecedented warning against China, Russia and DPRK, which may further deteriorate regional peace, stability, harmony and security.

Critical analysis of emerging socioeconomic, geopolitical and geostrategic activities in the Asia-Pacific, South China Sea and East Asia reveal that Japan is ready to act and thus it is continuously cooperating with NATO in multiple fields and joining US efforts to contain China, to suit its desire for so-called military normalization and bury its history of aggression before and during World War II.

Thus the white paper reflects Japan's own fears. It demonstrates Japan's NATO-centric paradigm shift, justifying the latter's entrance into the Asia-Pacific in the future. It is obvious that Japan is silently working on the trans-regional geopolitical and geostrategic agenda of the US and the West against China.

Realistically, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a result of continuous fueling by the US and NATO knocking at the doorstep of Russia.

Japan hyping threats from China, DPRK and Russia only caters to the US' strategy of building an "Asian NATO", which should alarm all peace-loving people.

It is apparent to even many Japanese that the Asia-Pacific does not need military blocs, confrontation or clubs of countries pushing for a new Cold War. Thus, countries in the region should correct their ways.

For the good of the region and of itself, Japan should return to the right path of Asia-Pacific cooperation by playing a positive and productive role in maintaining and promoting peace, stability and development.

The author is president of Pak-China Corridor of Knowledge and executive director of the Center for South Asia& International Studies. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.