Regional anxiety and historical echoes follow Japan's militarisation
LETTER: Japan is on the road to full militarisation. Its military budget has exceeded nine trillion yen (US$68 billion), hitting the target of two per cent of GDP, though lagging behind the United States (US$1 trillion) and China (US$340 billion).
Japan is accelerating its path to full militarization, with its military budget now surpassing nine trillion yen (US$68 billion), surpassing the US$1 trillion budgets of the United States and China. The nation has relaxed its post-World War II (WW2) defense export policies, now allowing lethal weapons transfers to 17 eligible partners, including Indonesia and the Philippines.
Tokyo is rumored to be offering submarines or advanced frigates to Indonesia, while Manila may receive retired Abukuma class destroyer escorts from Japan's Maritime Defense Force.
In addition to these transfers, Tokyo has gifted vessels for the Philippine Coast Guard since the presidency of Marcos Jr., and the nation is participating in joint military exercises alongside US and Philippine forces. Japan is also collaborating with Italy and the UK to co-develop a sixth-generation fighter jet and plans to co-manufacture the Mogami-class frigates with Australia after cancelling a previous contract with a French company.
This surge in militarization is primarily a response to the anticipated US military drawdown from the region, as Tokyo must bolster its deterrence capabilities in the absence of the nuclear umbrella that protected Japan's pacifist policy for over 80 years. While some believe China's rise is the primary driver, Japan's militarization is more likely due to concerns about American protection and the declining primacy of the US.
Japan's rearmament program aims to achieve strategic autonomy, breaking the constraints of Article 9 of its Constitution, which bans war as a means to settle international disputes. Japan views a nuclear-armed North Korea as an adversary and is concerned about the security of Taiwan, a territory annexed by China in 1895. The rise of Japan as a military power may cause anxiety in the region, which has benefited from Japanese investment, trade, and foreign aid for the past three decades.
However, the return of Japan's military forces to the region is a change that the region has not forgotten.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
