Drawing Attention to Assertion

Not defining as a threat, Japan regards China as “assertive.” The annual white paper on defense this year, Defense of Japan 2013 edited by the Ministry of Defense, expresses stronger warning against China than ever. As its result, security environment around Japan is determined as increasingly difficult. With those recognitions, the Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, will enhance Japan’s security with promoting his own agenda including “post-war regime” review.

The ministry has been describing the situation around Japan as “opaque” or “unsure” in previous white papers. It raised its warning because of China’s enhancement in military activeness in East China Sea, including the area around Senkaku Islands. Although it used the word “assertive” in English edition, the word “koatsuteki” in Japanese edition is closer to “strong-arm” than “assertive.” According to newspapers report, an Australian official were worried about its strong description against China on the draft.

As usual, it assessed the nuclear test North Korea as “significant threat against our security,” in consideration with its ability of ballistic missiles. “Threat” is far stronger than “assertive.” But, the paper spends twenty pages for China, while thirteen pages for North Korea, which makes difference in Japan’s security policy.

The focal point on China is expansion of naval power. The paper stressed the fact that China commissioned new aircraft carrier, Liaoning, and cited a possibility of building domestic-made carrier. It analyzes that those modernizations of naval power is thought to be preparing for operations in outer sea area than near-sea.

In order to deal with this “assertive” nation, the paper emphasizes “seamless” management of situation in sea area around Japan. “Seamless” supposedly means not only perfectness of operation, but also smooth shift from coast guard to military operation. It points out the necessity of capability of Marine Corp for recapturing occupied island. Meanwhile, attacking capability on enemy’s land is also regarded as worth for consideration, against the argument that it may violate the principle of strictly defensive policy.

All those active defense policy reflects positive attitude of Abe in security issues. For those purposes Abe seems to promote his own agenda. By enhancing Japan-US alliance as deterrence against China, Abe tries to open the way to reinterpret the concept of collective self-defense for making Japan’s support to US easier. By insisting on functional security, he is justifying the amendment of the Constitution of Japan. By criticizing China, he wants the Japanese people to understand his revisionism of post-war regime.