Japan Announces a Military Shift to Thwart Ch

[bubblykiss]

TOKYO — Japan’s prime minister announced a reinterpretation of the country’s pacifist Constitution on Tuesday, freeing its military for the first time in over 60 years to play a more assertive role in the increasingly tense region.

The decision by the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will permit Japan to use its large and technologically advanced armed forces in ways that would have been unthinkable even a decade ago when they were limited to defending the country.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/world/asia/japan-moves-to-permit-greater-use-of-its-military.html?_r=0

Well ladies and gentlemen, the world just got a lot more interesting.

Now to see how N. Korea and China react to this.

[spartan max2]

good, countries can start defending themselves instead of depending on the U.S to do it

[+Hammerclaw]

Japan is like a colorful and cheerfull pinata....containing a hornets nest. God help the country that ever takes a good wack at it. They only suffered occupation because their Emperor required it of them.

[Eldorado]

good, countries can start defending themselves instead of depending on the U.S to do it

And get rid of US military bases and US interference in their internal affairs. Only teasing.

Do you really think the US defends it's allies out of the goodness of it's heart?

[Indiogene]

Japan has a self-defense force type of army which is intended to protect the country from outside invasion. The US became responsible for Japan's defense as a result of World War II and the UN Treaty of San Francisco of 1951, one of the reasons for US military bases in Japanese soil (Okinawa, for example). Things changed in the region since then, by aggressive moves made by North Korea shoot off test missiles over Japanese air space, and China's militant claim over the Senkaku Islands disputed by Japan.

[Thelaw1]

Interesting. Surprised to say the least. I hope the U.S. and Japan coordinated this together. It is sad to say, but we are beginning to move the chess pieces against China. It is sad because China is going to begin moving its pieces as well. If I were Taiwan, I would be worried. I knew that this President was wanting to turn his focus from Europe and the Middle East to Asia, and that is what we are beginning to do. The problem is, by turning our attention away from Europe, it gives Putin the ability to begin flexing his muscle, and now that we have turned our backs on the Middle East, ISIS is running wild.

Edited July 4, 2014 by Thelaw1

[+and-then]

I don't trust anything Obama says. i wouldn't be surprised if the so called realignment of forces to the east were just smoke to cover a drawdown in defense budgets. Japan and SK would be a formidable bloc to counter China in the short term but China will become a behemoth in time.

[Yamato]

I'm guessing that yellow people killing each other will be exploited as an opportunity for the war mongers just like it is with brown people. We'll go over there and play Lord of War as always.

Doesn't this shift in thinking mean Japan is going to build THE bomb as a true defense/deterrent to China?

[MordorOrc]

Doesn't this shift in thinking mean Japan is going to build THE bomb as a true defense/deterrent to China?

Probably not. Japan for the most part, has the technology but there are several bans on tests that so far, only those crazy folks in Pyongyang have broken.

Besides, China and North Korea really can't threaten Japan anyway. Firstly, because of the US. Secondly, because the Chinese and North Korean militaries are complete crap. The Chinese armed forces do not even have a joint command.

[Astra.]

good, countries can start defending themselves instead of depending on the U.S to do it

Even if they didn't depend on the US....are you sure the US still wouldn't get involved ?

[Frank Merton]

I'm of a very split nature regarding Japan and militarism. It's scary but looking more and more necessary. There remain elements in the Japanese culture that could return, and they are damn stubborn about some of their rituals that make the rest of Asia shudder.

At the same time a Russo-Chinese alliance could otherwise totally dominate Asia, since it is plain the US is breaking down.

[+Hammerclaw]

I think Japan's potential for building a nuclear arsenal already exists in manufactured components just needing assembly. They wouldn't need a big arsenal, just enough to deter China and North Korea. Japan's so called Defense Force packs some serious firepower, for unlike so many pacific rim countries theirs is modern and up to date, as is South Korea's. A strategic alliance between the two would put a serious crimp in Chinese adventurism and territorial aspirations. On the land side I rather doubt China would risk another bloody nose taking on the Vietnamese.

[Gromdor]

Why develop a weapon that is already 70 years old? If they are going to start fresh with a military, I say they should develop more modern weapons like EMP bombs and microwave guns!

[Frank Merton]

I think Japan's potential for building a nuclear arsenal already exists in manufactured components just needing assembly. They wouldn't need a big arsenal, just enough to deter China and North Korea. Japan's so called Defense Force packs some serious firepower, for unlike so many pacific rim countries theirs is modern and up to date, as is South Korea's. A strategic alliance between the two would put a serious crimp in Chinese adventurism and territorial aspirations. On the land side I rather doubt China would risk another bloody nose taking on the Vietnamese.

I of course hope you are right about China and Vietnam, but as I see it the Chinese would not have to do much to seriously punish Vietnam. The real risk to China in such a venture is it might cause the Party here in Vietnam, when, as they would have to, they gave in, to lose power, and I am very sure that is something the Chinese would want to avoid. The Communists in Vietnam and in China are close and have much the same approach to things.

Japanese-Korean cooperation is a given if there is a threat from China or Russia, but otherwise the Koreans have memories too as does much of Asia and the Japanese are just not yet trusted. Japan could do a lot if it were more explicit in denouncing some past ideas and went out of its way to make up for some past behavior. They have done some but could do a lot more. For this reason Korea consistently turns to the States.

(It's kinda interesting rereading the above that I don't even think about N. Korea. It really is irrelevant even if it gets a nuclear bomb or two).

[Yamato]

Probably not. Japan for the most part, has the technology but there are several bans on tests that so far, only those crazy folks in Pyongyang have broken.

Besides, China and North Korea really can't threaten Japan anyway. Firstly, because of the US. Secondly, because the Chinese and North Korean militaries are complete crap. The Chinese armed forces do not even have a joint command.

They have the money, the credit, the manufacturing and growth. They're already an economic superpower. If that's not enough they have nukes. I think they can threaten whoever they want and the US isn't going to do spliff about it but talk and keep up appearances.