"Like Being Shot"... Japan Strengthens Military Power Using China's 'Taiwan Blockade' as Pretext

Japan "Serious Security Concern over Missile EEZ Fall"
Japan Advances Hypersonic Missile Development... Controversy over Violation of Collective Self-Defense

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Japan has indicated an increase in defense spending in response to China's military exercises aimed at 'Taiwan blockade.'

On the 5th, Suzuki Shunichi, Japan's Minister of Finance, suggested a policy to increase defense spending during a press conference, stating, "As the security environment has become more severe, the Ministry of Finance will properly discuss defense spending."

Additionally, former Defense Minister Kono Taro tweeted on the same day, "The landing of Chinese missiles in the EEZ is like being hit by a gun aimed by China. Such a complacent response is insufficient."

Earlier, the Japanese government adopted the 2022 Defense White Paper at a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. In the white paper, Japan argued that strengthening military power is necessary to protect the country based on threats from neighboring countries such as North Korea, Russia, and China, pointing out that Japan's defense spending as a proportion of its gross domestic product (GDP) is the lowest compared to the Group of Seven (G7), Australia, South Korea, and others.

In response, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) proposed to Prime Minister Kishida in May to rename the existing 'enemy base strike capability' to 'counterattack capability' and to possess related capabilities, also suggesting a policy to 'double defense spending within five years.'

Accepting the LDP's proposal, the Japanese government decided last month at a cabinet meeting on the 'Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform,' which includes content to "fundamentally strengthen defense capabilities within five years."

Meanwhile, Japan, which is ramping up military expansion by mentioning 'counterattack capability' for the first time in the Defense White Paper and increasing defense spending, has recently been reported to be developing hypersonic missiles, raising concerns among neighboring countries.

The Mainichi Shimbun reported on the 4th that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducted its first flight test of a hypersonic missile engine on the 24th of last month.

Hypersonic weapons are also called 'game changers' that alter military security order and the battlefield landscape. Their maximum speed exceeds Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound), and they can fly at low altitudes, making them difficult to intercept with current missile defense systems.

In response, military commentator and former Tokyo International University professor Maeda Tetsuo told the newspaper, "Depending on how hypersonic missiles are used, they may violate the principle of collective self-defense," adding, "If they give the impression of equipment beyond the scope of self-defense, it could provoke neighboring countries, leading to increased shows of force against Japan and potentially escalating into an arms race where Japan further strengthens its equipment."