Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi recently said publicly that Japan must strengthen its defense capabilities at a “significantly different pace than before” in light of the growing military power of the Chinese Communist Party. In the joint statement issued by the U.S.-Japan summit last month, the scope of “enhancing Japan’s defense capabilities” is not limited to the Taiwan Strait, but must also serve as a mechanism for Japan to strengthen its own defense. The above statement by Nobuo Kishi triggered a backlash from the Chinese Communist Party.
At a regular press conference in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian slammed “the Japanese side for making irresponsible remarks and openly advocating an arms race” and “even attempting to meddle in the Taiwan issue and interfere in China’s internal affairs, which is extremely bad in nature.
It is reported that Nobuo Kishi in a recent interview with the “Nihon Keizai Shimbun” and made it clear that the current military balance is clearly skewed in favor of China, and shows the trend of strengthening every year. Japan’s defense spending will be “not confined to the standard of less than 1% of GDP”, Japan will strengthen its multi-dimensional comprehensive defense capabilities in new areas including space, cyber and electromagnetic waves.
When asked about how to adjust the U.S.-Japan defense cooperation policy in the event of an emergency in Taiwan, Nobuo Kishi said that the situation in Taiwan needs to be actively considered as a Japanese problem and that full consultation between the U.S. and Japan must be conducted and the appropriate model adjusted when necessary. He also stressed that there are no plans to adjust Taiwan policy at this stage, but will continue to monitor relevant trends.
Recent Comments