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In its newest protection white paper, Tokyo has for the primary time sounded a direct warning towards the rising threat of a grave state of affairs akin to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine occurring in East Asia.
“Japan is dealing with essentially the most extreme and complicated safety surroundings for the reason that finish of World Warfare II. It can’t be dominated out {that a} severe state of affairs much like Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine could happen within the Indo-Pacific area in future, notably in East Asia,” the annual protection white paper, titled “Protection of Japan 2024” revealed on July 12, states.
With out mentioning China by identify, this a part of the white paper is clearly a reference to a doable Taiwan contingency.
“The primary a part of the 12 months’s protection white paper, which describes the safety state of affairs surrounding Japan, is essentially the most tense within the paper’s historical past, given Russia’s protracted invasion of Ukraine, China’s rising navy strain on Taiwan, and North Korea’s deployment of tactical nuclear weapons,” Yoshinaga Kenji, a former intelligence officer in each the Public Safety Intelligence Company and the Japan Maritime Self-Protection Power, instructed The Diplomat.
The white paper expressed “severe concern” over China’s hardline exterior stance and rising navy actions, accusing Beijing of presenting “an unprecedented and the best strategic problem to which Japan ought to reply with its complete nationwide energy and in cooperation and collaboration with its ally, like-minded international locations and others.”
Japanese Protection Minister Kihara Minoru stated on the opening web page of the white paper that “no nation can defend her personal safety alone,” underscoring the necessity to strengthen cooperation with like-minded international locations with whom Tokyo shares common values and strategic pursuits.
Moreover, Japan stepped up its alarm over China’s assertiveness within the area.
“China has been intensifying its actions throughout your complete area surrounding Japan, together with within the East China Sea, notably within the space across the Senkaku Islands, the Sea of Japan, and the western Pacific Ocean, extending past the so-called first island chain to the second island chain,” the paper famous.
Tokyo administers the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands within the East China Sea and insists they’re an inherent a part of the territory of Japan. China claims they need to be beneath Beijing’s management.
The white paper additionally highlighted China’s intensifying navy actions round Taiwan.
“By way of a sequence of actions round Taiwan, China is believed to be trying to create a fait accompli of a state of affairs through which Chinese language navy actions are commonplace, whereas on the similar time enhancing its fight capabilities,” the paper famous.
“Because of these rising navy actions by the Chinese language aspect, the potential of elevated navy tensions between China and Taiwan can’t be denied,” the paper identified for the primary time.
“Stabilizing the state of affairs surrounding Taiwan is necessary not just for Japan’s nationwide safety but in addition for the steadiness of the worldwide group. Due to this fact, it’s needed that we pay shut consideration to the state of affairs with a way of disaster greater than ever earlier than,” it added.
Tokyo additionally expressed grave issues about Beijing’s additional strengthening cooperation with Russia, together with intensifying China-Russia joint navy drills round Japan.
“It has additionally performed joint bomber fighters and naval navigations with Russia within the neighborhood of Japan. These repeated joint actions are clearly supposed for demonstration of power towards Japan,” the paper stated.
On North Korea, the white paper states that navy actions by the Northeast Asian nation proceed to pose “an much more grave and imminent risk to Japan’s nationwide safety than ever earlier than,” by mentioning Pyongyang’s speedy progress in nuclear and missile growth.
Specifically, this 12 months’s white paper identified Pyongyang is specializing in enhancing the standard of its nuclear weapons capabilities via new solid-fuel missiles and spy satellites.
“North Korea is specializing in qualitatively enhancing its nuclear and missile capabilities, akin to diversifying its gear methods and buying intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) signifies that complement its nuclear and missile operational capabilities,” the paper acknowledged.
The white paper additionally talked about North Korea’s provision of navy gear and ammunition to Russia for the primary time.
“Moreover, it was revealed that North Korea had offered Russia with ballistic missiles, which have been used towards Ukraine between the tip of 2023 and the start of 2024,” the paper learn.
Concerning Russia, Tokyo additionally expressed “a robust safety concern.” The paper identified that Russia’s persevering with aggression towards Ukraine is an “unprecedented” state of affairs, accusing Moscow of brazenly participating in navy actions difficult worldwide legislation and the worldwide order, claiming harmless lives and repeatedly utilizing languages and actions that may be interpreted as threats involving nuclear weapons.
“Russia is continuous energetic navy actions within the Northern Territories, that are inherent territories of Japan, beneath unlawful occupation,” the paper additionally famous.
Japan’s protection white paper is an annual report that describes adjustments within the safety surroundings surrounding Japan and the nation’s protection efforts over the previous 12 months.
The protection ministry emphasised that the white paper solely covers the interval from April 2023 to March 2024 and is thus not a strategic doc.
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