Japan Defence Forum

[makky lozano]

China's government and media launched a broadside Wednesday against Japan's move to loosen the bonds on its powerful military, casting it as a threat to Asian security.

The criticism came one day after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his cabinet had formally endorsed a reinterpretation of a constitutional clause banning the use of armed force except in very narrowly-defined circumstances.

"We urge Japan to follow its path of peaceful development and be prudent in handling relevant issues, honestly respect the legitimate security concerns of Asian countries and refrain from doing anything which may jeopardise regional peace and stability," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

Beijing had expressed its concern to Tokyo "on many occasions" over the rule change, he added. "We ask Japan not to infringe on China's sovereignty and security interests."

China's state-run media used significantly stronger language in denouncing the move.

"The Japanese government is eager to break through the post-war system," wrote the ruling Communist Party's flagship People's Daily newspaper in an editorial penned under the name "Zhong Sheng", a homophone for "Voice of China".

It called the Abe government's move "a dangerous signal, as well as a wake-up call".

In a commentary late Tuesday, China's official Xinhua news agency challenged Tokyo with a question: "Is China on your military agenda?"

"Japan has a history of making sneaky attacks, as it did in launching wars with China, Russia and the United States in the recent 100 years," Xinhua wrote. "Now, Japan, with greater freedom to use military force, is making the world more worried."

China, home to the world's largest military, far outnumbers rival Japan in manpower, ships, aircraft and defence spending.

China's official defence budget last year came to $119.5 billion, while according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Military Balance 2014 report, released in February, Japan's total was $51 billion.

Tokyo and Beijing have long been at odds over islands in the East China Sea, and Beijing has argued that a reinterpretation of Japan's pacifist constitution could open the door to remilitarisation of a country it considers insufficiently penitent for its actions in World War II.

The state-run China Daily newspaper wrote that "the recalcitrant attempts by Japanese politicians, including Abe, to rewrite history and their country's unseemly record in World War II are reminders that Japan doesn't deserve being treated as a normal country".

China's nationalistic Global Times, which is close to the ruling Communist Party, ran a cartoon on Wednesday depicting Abe as the American action hero Rambo, with a Japanese flag bandanna tied around his forehead and wielding a large machine gun.

"Both Tokyo and Washington wish to see more disturbances in Asia, as the US hopes it will hinder China's rise and Japan wants to seek opportunities to realise its rise both politically and militarily," the paper wrote.

"China needs to expose the Japanese rightists' evil intent."

 

[BoQ77]

facebook of japan coast guard

I think that's navy, not coastguard

 

[Aepsilons]

China Criticizes Japan's Move To Expand Military Role

BEIJING — China’s government and media launched a broadside Wednesday against Japan’s move to loosen the bonds on its powerful military, casting it as a threat to Asian security.

The criticism came one day after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his cabinet had formally endorsed a reinterpretation of a constitutional clause banning the use of armed force except in very narrowly-defined circumstances.

“We urge Japan to follow its path of peaceful development and be prudent in handling relevant issues, honestly respect the legitimate security concerns of Asian countries and refrain from doing anything which may jeopardize regional peace and stability,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

Beijing had expressed its concern to Tokyo “on many occasions” over the rule change, he added. “We ask Japan not to infringe on China’s sovereignty and security interests.”

China’s state-run media used significantly stronger language in denouncing the move.

“The Japanese government is eager to break through the post-war system,” wrote the ruling Communist Party’s flagship People’s Daily newspaper in an editorial penned under the name “Zhong Sheng,” a homophone for “Voice of China.”

It called the Abe government’s move “a dangerous signal, as well as a wake-up call.”

In a commentary late Tuesday, China’s official Xinhua news agency challenged Tokyo with a question: “Is China on your military agenda?”

“Japan has a history of making sneaky attacks, as it did in launching wars with China, Russia and the United States in the recent 100 years,” Xinhua wrote. “Now, Japan, with greater freedom to use military force, is making the world more worried.”

China, home to the world’s largest military, far outnumbers rival Japan in manpower, ships, aircraft and defense spending.

China’s official defense budget last year came to $119.5 billion, while according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance 2014 report, released in February, Japan’s total was $51 billion.

Tokyo and Beijing have long been at odds over islands in the East China Sea, and Beijing has argued that a reinterpretation of Japan’s pacifist constitution could open the door to re-militarization of a country it considers insufficiently penitent for its actions in World War II.

The state-run China Daily newspaper wrote that “the recalcitrant attempts by Japanese politicians, including Abe, to rewrite history and their country’s unseemly record in World War II are reminders that Japan doesn’t deserve being treated as a normal country”.

China’s nationalistic Global Times, which is close to the ruling Communist Party, ran a cartoon on Wednesday depicting Abe as the American movie action hero Rambo, with a Japanese flag bandanna tied around his forehead and wielding a large machine gun.

“Both Tokyo and Washington wish to see more disturbances in Asia, as the US hopes it will hinder China’s rise and Japan wants to seek opportunities to realize its rise both politically and militarily,” the paper wrote.

“China needs to expose the Japanese rightists’ evil intent.”



China Criticizes Japan's Move To Expand Military Role | Defense News | defensenews.com









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My reaction:

 

[Aepsilons]

US-Japanese force would defeat PLA in Diaoyutai clash: media

Japanese media outlets continue to report that the People's Liberation Army would be defeated if the United States fought alongside Japan in a conflict over the disputed Diaoyutai islands (Senkaku to Japan, Diaoyu to China) in the East China Sea, according to Huanqiu, the website of China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times.

Under Tokyo's new National Defense Program Guidelines, an amphibious fighting unit consisting of 3,000 soldiers will be created to defend the contested islands, currently under Japan's administration, from a potential Chinese invasion.

Tokyo has also purchased 52 AAV7 amphibious assault vehicles as well as the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft from the United States for the amphibious fighting unit. However, Japan alone is not enough to defeat China if conflict were to break out.

Japanese media, Huanqiu said, claims that Beijing would likely deploy the PLA Navy's three major fleets — the East Sea Fleet, North Sea Fleet and South Sea Fleet — to blockade the islands and Tokyo will eventually need US assistance to overcome China.

If Washington were to intervene, major Chinese sea ports such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Dalian would be blocked by attack submarines of the United States Navy.

With US support, Japan would also deploy its Escort Flotilla 2 based in Sasebo and Escort Flotilla 4 based in Kure, which are equipped with Kongo-class guided-missile destroyers capable of competing against the PLA naval fleet in East China Sea.

The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, would also be challenged by several Soryu-class and Oyashio-class submarines that patrol the disputed waters, as the Chinese carrier is still unable to launch fighters carrying missiles and munitions from its flight deck without a catapult.


US-Japanese force would defeat PLA in Diaoyutai clash: media｜Politics｜News｜WantChinaTimes.com


@OCguy , @boomslang , @Peter C , @LeveragedBuyout , your reaction / view ?

 

[MarkusS]

This is my third time explaining it and hopefully the last. It is a gravity dam! As in, it is self-reinforcing and continue to function regardless of any damage occurring to other sections of the dam, thus only megaton level damage will actually damage it, let alone destroy it, aka you need thermonuclear capacity as well as the ability to penetrate one of the toughest air defense in the world to do it. Since several of you obviously didn't bother to check the item, let me link a easy to read explanation for you.
Gravity dam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't get why random internet posters always get the idea that they are somehow smarter than a nation of engineers. Gee, they spent two decades planning the thing and you expect them to forget to take things like attack and sabotage into account?

The USA list it as the prime target. Your bla bla is dismissed. Beside that i dont see China as a nation of engineers. I see a nation of corrupted government officials who implement any crazy pipedream that Mao had while smoking crack.

 

[Aepsilons]

The USA list it as the prime target. Your bla bla is dismissed. Beside that i dont see China as a nation of engineers. I see a nation of corrupted government officials who implement any crazy pipedream that Mao had while smoking crack.

They do have a historical precedent of not taking into consideration the limitations of ecological stress. The effects of uncontrolled and unregulated industrialization has led to to the eutrophication of their major riverine beds, lakes, ponds. And the issue of desertification is also an issue that poses as a current problem.

 

[Aepsilons]

The USA list it as the prime target. Your bla bla is dismissed. Beside that i dont see China as a nation of engineers. I see a nation of corrupted government officials who implement any crazy pipedream that Mao had while smoking crack.

Environmental Risks of the Three Gorges Dam
Environmental experts cite not one, but several potential catastrophes that could occur in the wake of the dam's construction.

Pollution. As it fills, the enormous reservoir will submerge 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,350 villages [source: International Rivers]. Homes, factories, mines and waste dumps will all end up underwater, along with their contents, which likely include toxic chemicals. Add to that the estimated 1.35 billion tons (1.25 billion metric tons) of sewage already being dumped in the river each year, which will have nowhere to go but into the reservoir -- a major source of drinking water for the region [source: China Three Gorges Project]. Putting a dam on the Yangtze will slow its flow from 13 feet (4 meters) per second to 1 foot (0.3 meters) per second, which means pollutants will float lazily in the river instead of being flushed quickly out to sea [source: Kuhn]. In a country where more than half of the major waterways are polluted to the point of being unsafe for drinking, polluted water is a big concern.

Earthquakes. Three Gorges Dam sits on two major fault lines -- Jiuwanxi and Zigui-Badong. Geologists fear that rapid changes in water pressure when the reservoir levels are changed during flood season could activate already shaky ground and trigger an earthquake (a phenomenon known as reservoir-induced seismicity). In the seven months following the 2006 increase in water level, geologists recorded 822 tremors around the reservoir [source: Hvistendahl].

Landslides and mudslides. The raising and lowering of the water level in the reservoir also destabilizes the land around it. Water seeps into the soil in the cliffs surrounding the reservoir, causing enough erosion to make the ground slip. The shore of Three Gorges reservoir has already collapsed in more than 90 places [source: Macartney]. Villagers in the area have reported mudslides and cracks appearing in their backyards. In 2003, 700 million cubic feet (20 million cubic meters) of rock slid into the Qinggan River just a couple of miles from where it flows into the Yangtze. The rockslide spawned 65-foot (20-meter) waves that killed 14 people [source: Hvistendahl].

Changes in the weather. The alteration in water flow from the dam is so significant that scientists are saying it's actually changing the weather in the area. Researchers at NASA discovered that Three Gorges was creating a sort of lake effect, decreasing rainfall in the area around it, while increasing rainfall in the surrounding mountains. In areas where rainfall increased, temperatures dropped by an average of 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit (less than 1 degree Celsius) because cloud cover limited the amount of sunlight reaching the ground. NASA scientists say these temperature fluctuations could become even more dramatic when the dam becomes fully functional in 2009 [source: NASA].

Drought. Ironically, just as the Three Gorges project seeks to prevent flooding, it's causing drought by reducing water levels in the Yangtze River. In 2008, the China Daily newspaper reported that the river had hit its lowest level in 142 years [source: Reuters]. That precipitous drop in water level stranded ships and led to water shortages in central and eastern China, including in Shanghai, China's largest city.

Lost species. The dam will flood some animal and plant habitats, while leaving others high and dry. Pollution in the water will make it impossible for many fish to survive. Three Gorges threatens more than 400 plant species, including the Chinese dove tree and dawn redwood, as well as a number of fish and the rare Baiji dolphin.

Historic relics. The reservoir will inundate ancient villages, temples and burial grounds, destroying thousands of years' worth of irreplaceable history. Archaeologists and historians say almost 1,300 important historical sites will be submerged, including the 4,000-year-old homeland of the ancient Ba people [source: Kennedy].


Dire Warnings of the Three Gorges Dam
Human rights activists, scientists and environmentalists have been voicing serious concerns about Three Gorges since plans were approved in the early 1990s. Even Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji issued a dire warning when he toured the dam site in 1999, saying, "The responsibility on your shoulders is heavier than a mountain. Any carelessness or negligence will bring disaster to our future generations and cause irretrievable losses" [source: Kennedy]. Chinese journalist Dai Qing has been one of the most outspoken critics of Three Gorges. She once called the project "The most environmentally and socially destructive project in the world" [source: Kennedy]. In 1989, Qing spent 10 months in prison for her views.

For many years the Chinese government hailed the virtues of the project and downplayed any harm it might cause. Then, in a September 2007 meeting in the city of Wuhan, the government's tune seemed to change. Officials warned of the project's "hidden dangers," and said it had the potential to cause a "huge disaster […] if steps are not taken promptly" [source: Yang].

The Chinese government is taking steps -- to the tune of billions of dollars -- to make the dam and reservoir safer. It's spending $3.2 billion on water treatment projects, and another $1.6 billion on fortifying the reservoir banks to prevent landslides [sources: China Environmental News Digest and International Rivers]. It's finding new spawning areas for threatened fish species, and it moved many ancient relics before they ended up underwater.

However, despite serious concerns about its safety, the Three Gorges Dam project continues. Not only is it proceeding, but there are also plans under way to create 12 more hydropower facilities on the middle and upper Yangtze. The Chinese government is also looking to replicate the Three Gorges model elsewhere, with 13 dams planned for the Nu River and eight dams on the Lancang (Upper Mekong) River, all in an effort to increase the country's hydropower capacity to 300 gigawatts (300 million kilowatts) by 2020 [source: Yardley]. These dams could potentially displace thousands more people, and cause ecological nightmares of their own.





HowStuffWorks "Environmental Risks of the Three Gorges Dam"

 

[cnleio]

I WANT Japan to 'kick us out of Japan'. I hope they get strong so they can take care of themselves. And I seriously doubt Japan and China will 'team up', the way China has been dicking them over. Almost everyone in that area wants a piece of Chinas' @ss.

Yes they will, without China helps Japanese still will kick American.

@boomslang, u lack history before WWII.
They didn't forget twice nukes coz Nagasaki and Hiroshima city held nuclear explosion commemoration each year. They didn't forget Royal Navy fleet coz just American bury their dreams in Pacific Ocean. Without ur American maybe Japan had unified Asia in WWII and wouldn't lose Manchu & Korean peninsula & TaiWan where Japanese took lands before 1941. After WWII Pacific War lost, the Japan lose all lands and interests in Asia and Pacific Ocean, for Japanese a biggest stumbling block is the America, if the sun wanna rising again they must get rid of American.

Almost everyone in this planet wanna a piece of America's @ss and U.S down too. Without American disturb, everyone has the chance to come ture their dreams including the Japan. And ur stupid just grow up another Taliban again.

 

[Aepsilons]

Yes they will, without China helps Japanese still will kick American.

They didn't forget twice nukes coz Nagasaki and Hiroshima city held nuclear explosion commemoration each year. They didn't forget Royal Navy fleet coz just American bury their dreams in Pacific Ocean. Without ur American maybe Japan had unified Asia in WWII and wouldn't lose Manchu & Korean peninsula & TaiWan where Japanese took lands before 1941. After WWII Pacific War lost, the Japan lose all lands and interests in Asia and Pacific Ocean, for Japanese a biggest stumbling block is the America, if the sun wanna rising again they must get rid of American.

Almost everyone in this planet wanna a piece of America's @ss and U.S down too. Without American disturb, everyone has the chance to come ture their dreams. And ur stupid just grow up another Taliban again.

Calm down, don't let your emotions get the best of you , dear friend @cnleio .

Now, let's discuss with reason and calmness, and not on emotional volatility. Japan and the United States are partners for peace , stability, and have complementary designs in the maintenance of the status quo in Asia-Pacific. Japan's desire to have a more active contribution for regional stability reflects the ever-changing situation in our borders. There are a plethora of regional developments that have raised the interests of: 1) Japan, 2) United States, 3) ASEAN, 4) South Korea, 5) PRC, 6) EU, et al. Due to the sensitive developments in the South China Sea, and the sensitive issues involving the Sea of Japan , Japan has impressed onto itself and onto the world that it must have an active role , and move from its former isolationist / pacifist military policy.

I trust that the developments will only ensure the continuity of Japan and China's 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which will ensure that no one power will exercise hegemony in Asia-Pacific. AND i am quite positive that our partners in Beijing will abide and work with Tokyo in the procurement and maintenance of our very vibrant relationship.



I remain,
@Nihonjin1051

 

[cnleio]

Calm down, don't let your emotions get the best of you , dear friend @cnleio .

Now, let's discuss with reason and calmness, and not on emotional volatility. Japan and the United States are partners for peace , stability, and have complementary designs in the maintenance of the status quo in Asia-Pacific. Japan's desire to have a more active contribution for regional stability reflects the ever-changing situation in our borders. There are a plethora of regional developments that have raised the interests of: 1) Japan, 2) United States, 3) ASEAN, 4) South Korea, 5) PRC, 6) EU, et al. Due to the sensitive developments in the South China Sea, and the sensitive issues involving the Sea of Japan , Japan has impressed onto itself and onto the world that it must have an active role , and move from its former isolationist / pacifist military policy.

I trust that the developments will only ensure the continuity of Japan and China's 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which will ensure that no one power will exercise hegemony in Asia-Pacific. AND i am quite positive that our partners in Beijing will abide and work with Tokyo in the procurement and maintenance of our very vibrant relationship.



I remain,
@Nihonjin1051

I only believe, future if Japan government has a great leader like Tokugawa Ieyasu, he must select China as the best friend not America. It just repeat the history of Oda Nobunaga vs Imagawa Yoshimoto, after China the Japan will be N.o1.

 

[Aepsilons]

I only believe, future if Japan government has a great leader like Tokugawa Ieyasu, he must select China as the best friend not America. It just repeat the history Oda Nobunaga and Imagawa Yoshimoto, after China the Japan will be N.o1.

My friend, if you refer to post #651, that news article was from the Chinese news website, and it illustrates the over emotionality of your side. This should not be so. As for Japan and China; I'm looking for the normalization of our relations. So long as both of us uphold our agreements as in the 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

 

[cnleio]

@Nihonjin1051 I have a question, as far as u knew what's opinion of most Japanese ppl whether Japanese wanna American and their foreign military bases leave Japan ?

 

[Aepsilons]

@Nihonjin1051 I have a question, as far as u knew what's opinion of most Japanese ppl whether Japanese wanna American and their foreign military bases leave Japan ?

Its a very complex situation, my friend. We cherish America and view American as a vibrant partner and strategic ally. There are segments of Japanese population that want the United States military and bases out and view them as remnants of the allied occupation. There are also a healthy mix that view the United States' presence in Japan as a necessity to keep the region stabilized.

 

[jammersat]

@nihojin500 , i have a question too , are you christian?

 

[Aepsilons]

@cnleio

Honestly, what do the average Chinese feel about Japan and Japanese Self Defense Force? Thanks.