Shannon Brandao
Shannon's excerpt from the article: "Forbes [excerpt]: As #China and the United States continue to seek economic advantages, one over the other, #Japan has greatly complicated Beijing’s political-economic calculations. Tokyo’s huge increase in #defense spending and its decision to allow its armed forces more latitude to maneuver steepen both Beijing’s #military and its economic challenges and at an especially difficult time for China’s leadership.
Japan assiduously claims to continue adherence to the pacifist constitution it adopted in 1945 at the end of the Second World War. It has, however, decided to make some radical reinterpretations. According to The U.S. Naval Institute, Japan has increased its defense spending every year for the past twelve and in the last year increased military outlays by a whopping 16% to the equivalent of $56 billion.
These outlays are fall far short of China’s military budget, which, according to China’s Defense Ministry verges on the equivalent of $300 billion, much less the United States, which according to the budget of the United States stands at over $850 billion. Japan’s figure is nonetheless substantive, and if indications from the government in Tokyo are correct, just the start of large increases for the next few years. It is certainly enough to capture Beijing’s attention, not the least because it is clearly aimed at Chinese ambitions. In the words of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, '[W]e hope to contribute to defend a free and open international order based in the rule of law and to achieve peace and stability in the #Indo-lPacific region.'
Japan’s Defense Ministry highlights four general changes each of which must stand out in Beijing’s calculation. First is a clear commitment for the Japanese armed forces to work with allies to take on more offensive roles. Second is the decision to deploy long-range cruise missiles that can hit targets in North Korea. Such a response is to be expected given the provocative nature of North Korea’s missile deployment and testing, but it cannot escape Beijing’s notice that those arms can also hit targets in China. The third significant change is Tokyo’s decision to permit Japan a greater ability to export lethal weapons, including among them F-15 fighter jets and fighter jet engines made in Japan under American license as well as surface to air Patriot guided #missiles, also made in Japan under U.S. license. There is even talk of Japan sending such missiles to #Ukraine. Finally, there is Japan’s recent agreement with the #UnitedlKingdom and #Italy to develop the next generation jet fighter. In the words of U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rohm Emmanuel, 'The scope, scale, and speed of Japan’s security reforms have been unprecedented.'"
#News #geopolitics