Japan Emphasizes Stronger Self-Defense Forces against China’s Military Buildup

The Japanese government has approved its fiscal 2005 white paper on defense at the Cabinet meeting held on August 2 that expressed strong concerns about China’s military buildup and emphasized the necessity of a strong Self-Defense Force.

“China has promoted the modernization of its military strength, including nuclear, missiles, and its air force and navy, and the expansion of the scope of its military exercise on the sea,” according to the paper. The report analyzed that China’s activities could be interpreted to mean that its navy and air force are attempting to transform its capability from “defending the territory” to “simultaneously implementing defense and attack missions.”

The paper also strongly insisted that Japan’s Self-Defense Force must be stronger in preparation of new threats, such as ballistic missiles, guerrillas, and Special Forces units.

Regarding North Korea’s nuclear development program, the report pointed out that some viewed it as a strategy to drag some form of compensation out of the international community by raising the tension, while others concluded that North Korea really did succeed in developing nuclear weapons. “Either way, it is impossible to rule out the possibility that North’s nuclear program has made significant progress,” according to the report.

Won-Jae Park parkwj@donga.com