Japan should talk to promote peace not war

Seventy-five years ago, following its unconditional surrender in 1945 at the end of World War II, Japan enacted a new Constitution, Article 9 of which stipulates the country will permanently forsake war, the threat or use of force as a means for resolving international disputes; and hence will not maintain forces of war.

Yet instead of stepping back from the continuous attempts made by the Shinzo Abe administration to get rid of the constitutional restraints on militarizing Japan, the Fumio Kishida cabinet has conspicuously escalated and accelerated such endeavors.

While his legislative push may take some time, the current leader of Japan has initiated solid moves to break through what he and many Japanese politicians view as outdated fetters on a global Japan.

The defense deal Kishida signed Thursday with Boris Johnson, the United Kingdom prime minister, on the final leg of his five-nation Asian and European visit, was a noteworthy step in that direction.

Along with an agreement to share ammunition and supplies, the document on bilateral defense cooperation will reportedly facilitate faster troop deployment and foster joint training, and joint exercises, meaning talk about the militaries of Japan and the UK working more closely together will no longer be only rhetoric.

Considering the UK's post-Brexit “Indo-Pacific tilt”, as highlighted by the forming of AUKUS, and the unprecedentedly proactive diplomatic role Japan has assumed, especially since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, this is another significant change in the Asia-Pacific region's security environment.

Japanese politicians have used the Ukraine crisis to amplify their military rhetoric further.

In London on Thursday, Kishida claimed “Ukraine may be East Asia tomorrow” if peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits are not maintained, saying that this is critical not only for Japan's security but also for the stability of international society.

But such alarmist talk magnifying international misgivings about China is simply an excuse for Tokyo to take advantage of what it sees as a precious opportunity to advance its agenda of shedding the pacifist identity imposed by the Constitution.

China's foreign ministry on Friday accused Japan of undermining peace and stability with its actions and called on it to “do more to help increase the trust between regional countries”.

Certainly constructive communication is vital to prevent any misjudgment of what is potentially a tinderbox situation.