Source: Taiwan United Daily

Author: Yang Yongming

Japan wants to move towards normal countries?Want to become the deputy sheriff of the United States India Strategy?If the Kishida government has changed sharply after the Ukrainian war, it is difficult to have similar cognition and feelings. Japan began to show the defense situation of normal military powers. More importantly, the US -Japan security entered a strategic anti -China League system.

The most significant change in Japan's security policy after World War II was the three -document of security adopted by the Kishida government in December last year: national security guarantee strategy, national defense strategy and defense preparation plan, marking the three major changes: First, positioning China positioning in China"Unprecedented biggest strategic challenge".Second, the Self -Defense Forces should have "the ability to counterattack the enemy base."Third, "greatly enhance national defense expenses", and the military budget has been doubled within five years.

Security three documents have greatly transformed the Japanese security policy. The three levels of strategic meanings are: threat identification, strategic deterrence, and budget multiplication.The 2023 version of the "Defense White Paper" at the end of July made a clearer and specific discussion on these three levels.

First of all, in terms of threat recognition, the Chinese military upgrades to "the biggest strategic challenge of unprecedented unprecedented" in Japan.The White Paper tied for China, Russia and North Korea, accusing the Three Kingdoms that caused "the most severe and most complicated security environment since the end of World War II", saying that China has significantly increased national defense funding and accelerated military development. In the East China Sea and the South China SeaEssence

Threat identification is a key link in the national security strategy. It is determined that accusing the Chinese military movement as Japan's biggest strategic challenge. Of course, it cooperates with the United States under the confrontation between China and the United States and enhances the US -Japan security as a strategic anti -China League. In other words, JapanIn the U.S. Indo -Pacific Strategy, characters have changed from logistics to deputy sheriffs.

Second, in terms of strategic deterrence, the white paper states that the ability to "construct off -area defense and counterattack in the defense zone", that is, the ability to improve the base of fighters or missiles to counterattack other countries.The white paper takes Ukraine's attack on Russia as an example. It determines that the main reason is "insufficient deterrent". Therefore, it is said that Japan has decided to own and allow the counterattack ability to attack enemy missile launch bases for the first time.

In the deployment of counterattack missiles, Japan has purchased 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles on the US Self -Defense Force Self -Defense Forces at the beginning of this year. It is expected that the modification operation will be completed by 2027.At the same time, the defense province is developing long -range missiles with a range of two to 3,000 kilometers and plans to be deployed in the 2030s.

Third, in terms of budget multiplication, by 2027, national defense funds will reach two percent of the total GDP in Japan. To this end"Granny enhanced defense forces."

Suddenly the five -year -old budget is like an upstart, but it is still carefully planned to spend in the next five years in seven key areas.Equipment reaches nine trillion yen, enhances military facilities four trillion yen, and purchase ammunition two trillion yen.

Although Japan has not talked about normal countries in Japan for a long time, the Russian and Ukraine War allowed Germany and Japan to defeat the military restrictions, and both increased the national defense budget and began to greatly develop military backup and change the security strategy.Japan has also increased significantly in military exercises, military deployment, and equipment construction. In particular, it has accelerated the construction of ammunition stores and bases on the southwest islands, and continued to expand training programs with the US military.

Although the White Paper is also concerned about the situation of the Taiwan Strait, if it is considered that the Japanese security policy will be transformed, it will be unpredictable for the Taiwan Strait conflict due to "there is something in Taiwan and Japan."The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Washington had proposed the role of the Japanese Self -Defense Force when there was something in Taiwan, such as searching for Chinese submarine in Mainland China in Taiwan, but did not receive any specific commitment to Japan.

Although Japan still emphasizes the defense of the military budget and military reserve this time, it is not a threat signal to accusing the threat and strengthening military reserve itself?Especially in the past two years, the United States, Britain, and Australia signed the AUKUS Military Alliance, the Washington Declaration of the United States and South Korea formed a "nuclear alliance", and whether the US -Japanese and Korean three -sided summit will be held at the David Camp in Washington, will it form a new Northeast Asian Alliance RelationsIntersectionThese are also serious security threats in the eyes of related countries. From this, we can see that "mutual deterrence" and "arms competition" will become the main axis of the Asian security environment.

The author is the former Deputy Secretary -General of the National Security Council and a lecture professor at the Academy of Culture of the University of Culture