In recent weeks, the political party of Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been considering acquiring a missile defense system that would have the capability to strike inside other countries, like North Korea and China.
Saturday marked the 75th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, and the conditions of that surrender make the issue of Japan acquiring such missiles a sensitive one. After its defeat in World War II, Japan renounced the right to wage war, and the constitution put in place by US occupying forces in 1947 only allows Japan to take military action in self-defense.
Japanese officials argue that the ability to strike missile systems inside North Korea and China is necessary for self-defense. A proposal on the matter drafted by Abe’s party laid out the country’s concerns. “Our country needs to consider ways to strengthen deterrence, including having the capability to halt ballistic missile attacks within the territory of our adversaries,” the proposal said.
Since the end of World War II, the US has maintained a heavy military presence in Japan, with around 55,000 troops stationed in the country today. Some analysts say the Trump administration’s desire for allies to spend more on their militaries and share the cost of defense is driving Japan to consider acquiring such capabilities. But besides a troop reduction in Germany, and threats of troop cuts in South Korea, Trump’s rhetoric has not amounted to much.
North Korea’s missile capabilities and the increasing tensions between the US and China in the region are also driving Japan’s desire for new weapons. Japan recently participated in Naval exercises with the US and Australia in the Philippine Sea.
This would also presumably give Japan the capability to deliver nukes, something that could become increasingly attractive as “tensions between the US and China increase”. Washington and Beijing may not plunge into nuclear war, but could be dragged into one by a third (nuclear) power.
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The Japanese upper class will never give up its claim on Manchuria and Eastern Siberia. Never ever.
For the time being China and Russia are too strong to prevent any attempt at taking.
The missiles are not what one must watch. Watch: the Japanese navy. It is relevant.
Bad idea.
will Japanese leadership permit this? Okinawans despise amerikans–yet they will not withdraw troops…now sending more to Poland….this will not help; N Korea can level large Japanese cities w conventional or nuclear weapons