Japanese Prime Minister Kishida on Ukraine Crisis: "Unilateral Changes in East Asia Cannot Be Tolerated"

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine, "Unilateral changes by force must not be tolerated in the Indo-Pacific, especially East Asia."

According to Kyodo News on the 27th, Prime Minister Kishida made these remarks while attending the graduation ceremony at the National Defense Academy in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, adding, "Depending on how the situation develops, the world and Japan will face the greatest postwar crisis."

He also pointed out that China has been intensifying unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas recently.

Regarding North Korea's successive ballistic missile launches, he said, "It adds severity to the security environment surrounding Japan."

Concerning the "National Security Strategy," the long-term guideline for Japan's diplomatic and security policy that the government plans to revise by the end of the year, Kishida stated, "We will strengthen defense capabilities by reviewing all options without excluding any."

Since taking office in October last year, Kishida said in a policy speech to the National Diet on December 6 of the same year that he would revise the three major security strategy documents, including the National Security Strategy, within one year, and regarding the "enemy base strike capability," which implies possession of long-range strike means, he also said, "We will review all options without excluding any."