Let’s Defense Together

Intimidated by Chinese expansion, the Japanese Prime Minister took one step up toward militarism. PM Shinzo Abe resumed his private consultative committee on collective self-defense right. In his first administration, the point was whether the possible exercise of the right would be our war or their war, in the context of war on terrorism. This time, it is different. They are definitely talking about “our war.” The hurdle of expanding the role of Japanese force is low.

The committee, the Meeting on Rebuilding Legislative Basis of National Security, was established in 2007. Chaired by former Ambassador to the United States Shunji Yanai, the meeting was consisted of scholars, bureaucrats and a business person. Although the meeting was interrupted by Abe’s stepping down later that year, it reported recommendations for exercising self-defense right in 2008.

In the report, they listed four cases for study about activities of Japanese self-defense force. The first was whether Japanese self-defense force could counter attack when a US vessel would be attacked on international sea. The second was intercepting a missile going to US. The third was approaching and guarding other nation’s troops in international peace operation. And the last was logistic support for other nation’s troops in international peace operation. The first two were regarded as the exercise of collective defense right.

Chairman Yanai was in Washington, DC, as the Ambassador, on September 11^th in 2001. The discussion had mainly been about possible event in joint operation against terrorism with US troops. At that time, general public opinion in Japan was “Why do we have to step into US unilateral war on terrorism?” The circumstance of the discussion was not preferable to upholders of expanding Japanese force’s role.

Resumed meeting, however, takes a different approach affected by current intimidation by the Chinese. “Not only terrorism, there increases a threat of nation. We therefore consider appearances of threat not belonging to one of those four kinds of cases,” told Yanai to the press. The meeting is going to submit new report after the election of the House of Councillors, which will obviously be how Japan will respond to Chinese threat in the joint operation with US.

New Komeito, a partner of leading Liberal Democratic Party, is reluctant to discuss collective self-defense right, from the aspect of keeping Japan’s peace standards. But Chinese double standard that it started argument over Senkaku Islands after natural resource was found around the area makes Japanese general antipathy against China greater. Now, environment of the stepping up is likelier than ever.