Worldwide Support for United States

The government of Japan decided to write global support for the United States in the new version of Japan-U.S. Security Guideline, which will be revised later this year or early next year. Japan has so far strictly prohibited joining military operation except it may affect Japan’s own security. To implement that principle, it legislated Peripheral Situation Act, which determined Japan’s operational ability in contingency around Japan. The attitude of Shinzo Abe administration toward new guideline looks to be an emergence of warmongering characteristic of Abe.

In 1978, Japan and U.S. exchanged first document of security guideline to deal with possible aggression from Soviet Union. Current guideline revised in 1997, that prepared for possible contingency in Korean Peninsula, determined Japan’s cooperation to U.S. in three fields; ordinary situation, contingency in Japan and peripheral situation. It enables Japan to support U.S. force in a situation of “significantly affecting Japan’s peace and security in periphery of Japan.”

New guideline, which mid-term report will be released Wednesday 8^th of this month, will determine that Japan will be going to make global support for U.S. Not only in Japan’s own contingency, but in “gray zone situation” in which the government may not be able to determine whether it can do it, Japan will support U.S. in anywhere in the world. Also exercising collective self-defense right, Japan will seamlessly prepare for any situation from the time of peace to contingency in Japan. There will not be a reason in U.S. to reject it.

Since Japan had been prohibiting itself joining military conflict in other country, it may mark a great turning point of Japanese security policy. After the end of World War II, Japan has been taking exclusively defensive policy. Japan could use its force only when Japan’s existence is seriously threatened. To limit it, the nation announced to the world that it would deal with conflicts around Japan. To assure Japan-U.S. alliance, which has been believed to be a cornerstone of Japan’s security, Abe administration removed that geographical limitation.

It is supposed that likely case of Japan’s contribution to U.S. operation is sweeping floating mines in Persian Gulf. But if Japan agrees with U.S. to make joint operation in anywhere in the world, Japan also participate in China-Taiwan conflict. This possibility will let China involved in further enforcement of military, precipitating Northeast Asia into further unstable situation. It is wiser for U.S. to decide that it will deal with the regional conflict in Asia by itself, without expecting Japan’s help.