USA wants to protect Japanese islands from China: "Japan sees its interests endangered"
Created: 01/10/2023 21:22
By: Nail Akkoyun
In view of China's aggressive policy, Japan wants to continue to upgrade, the US military presence is to be increased.
An expert explains the background.
Tokyo/Washington – Japan's protecting power USA wants to install a rapid reaction force in southern Japan.
The US government is thus reacting to the increasing number of military operations by China in the East China Sea.
Dozens of ammunition and weapons depots are to be set up.
These are intended to defend the island prefecture of Okinawa, as the Japanese news agency
Kyodo
reported on Tuesday (January 10), citing diplomatic sources.
"We have to realize that Japan has been in dispute with China for decades, also and especially of a territorial nature," said Japan historian Takuma Melber in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA.
In addition to the Ukraine war, there is also “Russia’s military build-up on Japan’s northern border” – Tokyo has been at odds with Moscow for decades due to the Kuril conflict.
Japan sees "itself and its interests endangered by the overall security policy situation in the Asia-Pacific region," said Melber.
Therefore, one anticipates "a possible shift in power" that could be accompanied by a Chinese military attack on Taiwan.
China and Taiwan: That's what the conflict is about
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Japan as a "natural aircraft carrier": Prime Minister Kishida meets Joe Biden
According to Kyodo
, the Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) will be formed within a few years as part of the realignment of the Marine Corps in Japan's Okinawa island prefecture, where the bulk of US troops are stationed in the country.
Japan wants to further strengthen military cooperation with the USA and European partners in view of China's growing bid for power in the region.
To this end, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is holding talks in Europe and in Washington with US President Joe Biden this week.
As the most important US partner alongside South Korea, Japan is now often viewed as a “natural aircraft carrier in the Pacific,” said Melber, who teaches at the Heidelberg Center for Transcultural Studies.
In the face of "the existing threats", this aircraft carrier is now being upgraded.
According to the expert, the Japanese people are relaxed about the US military presence: Due to the continued American presence after the Second World War, they have been “used to it for decades”.
Japanese Navy ships off the coast of Japan, escorted by US flagships.
(Archive photo) © US Navy/Imago
Military change of course in Japan: Tokyo plans the "turning point"
Japan is currently undergoing a historic change of course in its security policy and intends to massively increase its defense spending.
For the first time, the country wants to acquire offensive weapons such as cruise missiles that can reach potential targets in China.
The defense budget is to amount to two percent of the country's economic output instead of the previous one percent.
"That's enormous and a real 'turning point', to use the silly word," said Melber.
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The change of course comes amid what the Tokyo government describes as the "serious and most complicated" security environment since World War II.
According to a recently adopted new security paper, China's military presence in the region represents "the greatest strategic challenge" of all time.
The United States put it similarly.
(nak with dpa)