Tokyo's 'big leap' aimed at China
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E-mail China Daily, July 20, 2013
For instance, since Abe took office in December, the Japanese government has taken "historic steps" in attempting to revise the constitution, establish national defense forces, amend the national defense program guidelines, exercise collective self-defense, set up the National Security Council, raise military spending and build up military strength, according to the report.
Luo Yuan, deputy executive of the association, said, "China-Japan relations are also disturbed by growing right-wing forces in Japan, which stir up the China threat to justify their ambition to get rid of the shackles of the post-war system."
Fan Gaoyue, a researcher from the association, said tensions over the Diaoyu Islands can hardly be eased in the short term as the Abe administration further strengthens its hawkish stance.
"If the ruling party led by the conservative Abe wins the Senate elections this month, it is likely to make more provocative moves over the Diaoyu Islands to seek public support to amend the constitution and upgrade self-defense forces to an army," Fan said.
It is the second time the think tank has issued reports on Japanese and US military power. In 2012, it became the first Chinese non-governmental body to touch upon the topic.
In its report on US military power last year, the association said the US national defense budget in the 2012 fiscal year had been increased despite appearing to have been cut.
The entire budget for that year saw a slight decrease due to a cut in the overseas contingency operations budget in Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, the base budget was $553.1 billion, an increase of $4.2 billion from the 2011 fiscal year, the report said.
It also said that according to the new US guidance for defense strategy, issued in January 2012, China and Iran are of particular concern for the US.
"In terms of threat assessment, the US takes China as its greatest potential security challenge," the report said.
A series of US-led joint military exercises, such as Rim of the Pacific 2012 and Exercise Gold Cobra 2012, apparently had China as a target, it said.
Rim of the Pacific 2012, which was expanded to cover 22 participant countries including India and Russia, did not invite China, one of the major nations in the region, the report added.
Luo Yuan said Washington is concerned that a rising China may challenge its leading role in global affairs.
"China is willing to enhance trust with the two countries (Japan and the US) through cooperation and improving its military transparency," Luo said. "But Beijing also has to prepare itself economically and defensively for any emergency triggered by outside provocation."
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