Japan's reaction in case of an Chinese invasion of Senkaku/Daiyau
- Thread starter Aegis DDG
- Start date
Security Environment in the Vicinity of Japan
In the Asia-Pacifi c region, alongside the various changes that
have taken place in tandem with the increase in power of China,
India, and Russia, countries in the region have made efforts to
enhance and strengthen intra-regional coordination and collab-
oration with a particular focus on non-traditional security sec-
tors such as humanitarian aid and disaster relief, and counter
piracy measures. On the other hand, this region abounds in
political, economic, ethnic, and religious diversity, confl icts
between countries/regions remain even after the end of the Cold
War, and their views on security and threats are different. Ac-
cordingly, major changes in the security environment have yet
to emerge even after the end of the Cold War, unlike in Europe
and long-standing issues of territorial rights and reunifi cation
continue to plague the region.
On the Korean Peninsula, the Korean people have been di-
vided for more than half a century, and the faceoff continues
between the military forces of the Republic of Korea and North
Korea. There are issues concerning Taiwan and the South Chi-
na Sea. Japan also confronts unresolved territorial disputes over
the Northern Territories and Takeshima, both of which are in-
herent part of Japanese territory.
In North Korea, following the death of Chairman of the Na-
tional Defense Commission Kim Jong-il in December 2011, a
regime led by First Chairman of the National Defense Commis-
sion Kim Jong-un was put in place. The launch of a missile,
which North Korea called “Satellite,” in December 2012
showed that North Korea has advanced its ballistic missile
technology, and we assess that North Korea’s ballistic missile
development is considered to have entered a new phase. There
is great concern about North Korea’s ballistic missiles from the
perspective of their development and deployment, as well as
their transfer and proliferation. With regard to nuclear develop-
ment by North Korea, the Six-Party Talks, which aims at the
verifi able denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peace-
ful manner, has been suspended since December 2008, but in
light of the series of North Korean announcements and actions
to date, including the implementation of a nuclear test in Feb-
ruary 2013, as well as the timing of its nuclear tests, the possi-
bility cannot be dismissed that North Korea has already made
considerable progress in its nuclear weapons program. More-
over, there is a possibility that the country is developing nuclear
weapons using highly-enriched uranium. Considered in con-
junction with its efforts to enhance its ballistic missile capabil-
ity, the nuclear tests by North Korea pose a signifi cant threat to
Japan’s security, and they are signifi cantly detrimental to peace
and stability in Northeast Asia and the international communi-
ty. Therefore, they are absolutely unacceptable. Future actions
by North Korea continue to be unpredictable and Japan needs to
pay utmost attention to them. North Korea’s abduction of Japa-
nese nationals, which it poses a major threat to the lives and
security of the Japanese public, is yet to be resolved. A solution
will require concrete actions by North Korea.
Many countries in this region have taken advantage of eco-
nomic growth to modernize their military forces by increasing
their defense budgets and introducing new military equipment.
In particular, China has now become an infl uential country
both politically and economically, and its military develop-
ments also draw attention from other countries. Accordingly,
China is strongly expected to recognize its responsibility as a
major power, accept and stick to the international norms, and
play a more active and cooperative role in regional and global
issues. On the other hand, China has been engaging in exten-
sive, rapid modernization of its military forces, backed by con-
tinual substantial increases in its defense budget. China has not
clarifi ed the current status and future vision of its military mod-
ernization initiatives, while its decision-making process in mil-
itary and security affairs is not suffi ciently transparent: Hence
it has been pointed out that this could potentially lead to a sense
of distrust and misunderstanding by other countries. Further-
more, China has been rapidly expanding and intensifying its
maritime activities. In particular, in the waters and airspace
around Japan, it has engaged in dangerous acts that could give
rise to a contingency situation, such as Chinese naval vessel’s
direction of its fi re-control radar at a JMSDF destroyer in Janu-
ary this year. In addition, Chinese aircraft and surveillance
ships affi liated to China’s maritime law enforcement agencies
have intruded into Japanese territorial waters and airspace.
Coupled with the lack of transparency in its military and secu-
rity affairs, these moves by China are a matter of concern for
Japan and other countries in the region and the international
community. Therefore, Japan needs to pay utmost attention to
China’s movements. This is why China is asked to further im-
prove transparency regarding its military and why further
strengthening of mutual understanding and trust by promoting
dialogue and exchanges with China is an important issue. At
the same time, while a substantial reshuffl e in the Chinese
Communist Party leadership has taken place, resulting in the
establishment of the Xi Jinping regime, the environment sur-
rounding the next administration is certainly not rosy, due to its
various domestic problems. Thus, the question of how it will
deal with the challenges it faces will be the focus of attention.
Perceiving the building of an affl uent nation as its task for the
present, Russia believes that it must become a country with in-
fl uence that can maintain its sovereignty, based on the deploy-
ment of its new economic, cultural, and military might. It is
endeavoring to develop a military posture commensurate with
its national power, against the backdrop of its economic devel-
opment to date, while continuing to attach importance to its
nuclear capability. In recent years, it has been moving forward
with downsizing its troops, reforming its organizational as-
pects, reinforcing its readiness postures, and modernizing its
military, including the development and introduction of new
equipment, as well as recent global deployment of its military,
particularly its naval and air forces. In the Far East, too, Russia
continues active operations of its naval vessels and aircraft,
conducting large-scale exercises in the region.
Reference: Japan Ministry of Defense
In the Asia-Pacifi c region, alongside the various changes that
have taken place in tandem with the increase in power of China,
India, and Russia, countries in the region have made efforts to
enhance and strengthen intra-regional coordination and collab-
oration with a particular focus on non-traditional security sec-
tors such as humanitarian aid and disaster relief, and counter
piracy measures. On the other hand, this region abounds in
political, economic, ethnic, and religious diversity, confl icts
between countries/regions remain even after the end of the Cold
War, and their views on security and threats are different. Ac-
cordingly, major changes in the security environment have yet
to emerge even after the end of the Cold War, unlike in Europe
and long-standing issues of territorial rights and reunifi cation
continue to plague the region.
On the Korean Peninsula, the Korean people have been di-
vided for more than half a century, and the faceoff continues
between the military forces of the Republic of Korea and North
Korea. There are issues concerning Taiwan and the South Chi-
na Sea. Japan also confronts unresolved territorial disputes over
the Northern Territories and Takeshima, both of which are in-
herent part of Japanese territory.
In North Korea, following the death of Chairman of the Na-
tional Defense Commission Kim Jong-il in December 2011, a
regime led by First Chairman of the National Defense Commis-
sion Kim Jong-un was put in place. The launch of a missile,
which North Korea called “Satellite,” in December 2012
showed that North Korea has advanced its ballistic missile
technology, and we assess that North Korea’s ballistic missile
development is considered to have entered a new phase. There
is great concern about North Korea’s ballistic missiles from the
perspective of their development and deployment, as well as
their transfer and proliferation. With regard to nuclear develop-
ment by North Korea, the Six-Party Talks, which aims at the
verifi able denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peace-
ful manner, has been suspended since December 2008, but in
light of the series of North Korean announcements and actions
to date, including the implementation of a nuclear test in Feb-
ruary 2013, as well as the timing of its nuclear tests, the possi-
bility cannot be dismissed that North Korea has already made
considerable progress in its nuclear weapons program. More-
over, there is a possibility that the country is developing nuclear
weapons using highly-enriched uranium. Considered in con-
junction with its efforts to enhance its ballistic missile capabil-
ity, the nuclear tests by North Korea pose a signifi cant threat to
Japan’s security, and they are signifi cantly detrimental to peace
and stability in Northeast Asia and the international communi-
ty. Therefore, they are absolutely unacceptable. Future actions
by North Korea continue to be unpredictable and Japan needs to
pay utmost attention to them. North Korea’s abduction of Japa-
nese nationals, which it poses a major threat to the lives and
security of the Japanese public, is yet to be resolved. A solution
will require concrete actions by North Korea.
Many countries in this region have taken advantage of eco-
nomic growth to modernize their military forces by increasing
their defense budgets and introducing new military equipment.
In particular, China has now become an infl uential country
both politically and economically, and its military develop-
ments also draw attention from other countries. Accordingly,
China is strongly expected to recognize its responsibility as a
major power, accept and stick to the international norms, and
play a more active and cooperative role in regional and global
issues. On the other hand, China has been engaging in exten-
sive, rapid modernization of its military forces, backed by con-
tinual substantial increases in its defense budget. China has not
clarifi ed the current status and future vision of its military mod-
ernization initiatives, while its decision-making process in mil-
itary and security affairs is not suffi ciently transparent: Hence
it has been pointed out that this could potentially lead to a sense
of distrust and misunderstanding by other countries. Further-
more, China has been rapidly expanding and intensifying its
maritime activities. In particular, in the waters and airspace
around Japan, it has engaged in dangerous acts that could give
rise to a contingency situation, such as Chinese naval vessel’s
direction of its fi re-control radar at a JMSDF destroyer in Janu-
ary this year. In addition, Chinese aircraft and surveillance
ships affi liated to China’s maritime law enforcement agencies
have intruded into Japanese territorial waters and airspace.
Coupled with the lack of transparency in its military and secu-
rity affairs, these moves by China are a matter of concern for
Japan and other countries in the region and the international
community. Therefore, Japan needs to pay utmost attention to
China’s movements. This is why China is asked to further im-
prove transparency regarding its military and why further
strengthening of mutual understanding and trust by promoting
dialogue and exchanges with China is an important issue. At
the same time, while a substantial reshuffl e in the Chinese
Communist Party leadership has taken place, resulting in the
establishment of the Xi Jinping regime, the environment sur-
rounding the next administration is certainly not rosy, due to its
various domestic problems. Thus, the question of how it will
deal with the challenges it faces will be the focus of attention.
Perceiving the building of an affl uent nation as its task for the
present, Russia believes that it must become a country with in-
fl uence that can maintain its sovereignty, based on the deploy-
ment of its new economic, cultural, and military might. It is
endeavoring to develop a military posture commensurate with
its national power, against the backdrop of its economic devel-
opment to date, while continuing to attach importance to its
nuclear capability. In recent years, it has been moving forward
with downsizing its troops, reforming its organizational as-
pects, reinforcing its readiness postures, and modernizing its
military, including the development and introduction of new
equipment, as well as recent global deployment of its military,
particularly its naval and air forces. In the Far East, too, Russia
continues active operations of its naval vessels and aircraft,
conducting large-scale exercises in the region.
Reference: Japan Ministry of Defense
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