Chinese Defense White Paper

The gravity is on accusing Japan. The government of China released a white paper on defense policy, in which it criticized no country in the world except Japan, saying “Japan created a problem in Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands.” Making the dispute against Japan a cause, China seems to justify itself of building its naval power up.

The white paper was released to respond to international demands for Chinese transparency in military information, which is necessary for understanding intention and ability. The paper for the first time reveals the breakdowns of the People’s Liberation Army, which is consisted of 850 thousand mobile operation troops, 235 thousand navy personnel and 398 thousand for air force. It acknowledged Liaoning, a reformed Russian aircraft carrier formally named Varyag, as China’s first carrier for the navy. “It is extraordinary significant to develop aircraft carriers in building strong naval power and securing safety in the sea,” explained the paper to keep on building carriers.

The paper intensively focuses on Japan as a target for justifying naval expansion in the Pacific Ocean. “Japan has brought a mess in the issue of Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands,” accused the paper. An officer of the Chinese Defense Ministry told that China had determination and ability to protect its sovereignty, while stressing its basic stance of solving in peaceful measures.

The paper also criticized the United States. “Some states is deepening its military alliance in Asia-Pacific region, enhancing, military presence and raising regional tension,” it describes. China is going to be positively involved in protecting interest in the East China sea including Senkaku Islands and the South China sea where it has dispute with Philippine or Vietnam.

The government of Japan immediately took counter action toward China. The deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hiroshige Seko, announced that the government of Japan officially disputed over the descriptions on the paper to the Embassy of China in Tokyo. “There is no issue to solve over Senkaku Islands. We can never accept any movements dependent on Chinese unilateral viewpoints,” told Seko. But the objection was done by low level in Japan-China bilateral diplomatic channel.

It is probably make sense that the Chinese accusations against Japan are mainly emphasizing the determination of protecting Chinese interest in Xi Jinping administration. Focusing on its maritime interest may also have an intention to show low priority on complicated Korean Peninsula, in which China has great responsibility. It is not wise, however, making international matters pushed into the corner of collision being blinded by domestic interests.