Japan's new a national security strategy created to give itself more offensive footing against threats from China and North Korea.
abc.net.au/news/as-regional-threats-rise-japan-eases-defence-only-strategy/101785136In a major break from its strictly self-defence-only postwar principle, Japan has adopted a national security strategy declaring plans to possess pre-emptive strike capability and cruise missiles within years to give itself more offensive footing against threats from neighbouring China and North Korea.
Possession of the strike-back capability is "indispensable" as deterrence to discourage enemy attacks, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a news conference on Friday, calling it "a major change to Japan's postwar security policy". Because of its wartime past as an aggressor and national devastation after its defeat, Japan's postwar policy prioritised economic growth while keeping its security light by relying on American troops stationed in Japan under their bilateral security agreement.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated accusations Japan was "ignoring facts, deviating from its commitment to China-Japan relations and the common understandings between the two countries, and groundlessly discrediting China". The South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was "desirable" for Japan to implement the security policy to contribute to regional peace and stability.
Japan plans to spend 5 trillion yen to deploy foreign-developed stand-off missiles as early as 2026, including Lockheed Martin's Tomahawk and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, while Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industry develops a surface-to-ship guided missile. "Japan's goal to significantly increase defence investments will also strengthen and modernise the US-Japan alliance," he added.
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