Japan adopts aggressive changes in defence policy to counter Chinese threat

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the defensive posture taken by Japan since the Second World War, 70 years ago, will be changed. The Japanese Prime Minister warned that Japan cannot afford to continue with its defensive stance in view of the rising threat from China and North Korea in East Asia. A reaction is expected from China over the change, who has been criticising the Japanese defence polices for a long time now.

China had despatched the Liaoning aircraft carrier to the Yellow Sea and the adjoining marine area for trials. At the same time, there were reports of the Chinese fighter jets having violated the airspace in the Senkaku group of islands in Japan. Japan had retaliated against the Chinese intrusion by sending its own fighter jets.

In view of this increasing military aggression by China, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a discussion with 180 officials from the defence forces. Prime Minister Abe said that the government will be taking steps to ensure that the Japanese defence forces have free access to the marine sector.

‘in the last decade the threats faced by Japan have increased manifolds. In such a scenario, it becomes the responsibility of the Japanese leaders to ensure that the defence forces are able to perform their duties efficiently by implementing the necessary defence policy. As the Prime Minister of Japan, I will definitely discharge my duties,’ Prime Minister Abe indicated bringing in constitutional changes in the Japanese defence policies with these words.

Even in the past, Abe had announced about making historical changes in the Japan’s defensive policies. Abe had suggested that the Japanese defence forces should prepare for implementation of aggressive defence policies. Also, the United States had welcomed this change in the Japanese policy. It had appealed to Japan to increase its military participation in the other regions too. For this purpose, the United States even announced the withdrawal of the sanctions imposed against Japan since the Second World War.

However, China had accused Japan saying the change in the Japanese policy was in violation of the international laws. The country had also warned that the new Japanese policy would create instability in the region.

The Chinese leaders and the state-run media have been consistently accusing Japan of inciting the countries in the region against China.