Japanese ‘moving away from pacifism’
PLA Daily criticises establishment of a new anti-ship missile unit on Okinawa
An official Chinese military newspaper has accused Japan of moving away from its pacifist constitution after it established a new anti-ship missile unit on Okinawa.
The Japan Self-Defence Forces last month upgraded its missile defences by setting up the 7th Surface-to-Ship Missile Regiment, the first on the main island of the Ryukyu chain.
A commentary in the official military newspaper People’s Liberation Army Daily said the new regiment, which will supervise missile units already stationed in the island chain, would “further strengthen the defence and attack capabilities of Japan’s southwestern islands”.
It said this meant Japan “can block, or even attack rival ships entering and exiting various straits in the region, which demonstrates obvious offensive characteristics”.
It also warned that the regiment’s “combat capacity should not be underestimated”.
“[Tokyo’s] accelerated arms expansion is increasingly deviating from the principle of a ‘pacifist constitution’, bringing more uncertainty to regional and global security, and deserves higher awareness from neighbouring countries and the international community,” the commentary said.
The constitution adopted by Japan after its defeat in World War II explicitly renounces war to settle disputes and says its armed forces must be purely defensive.
The Ryukyu island chain stretches between Japan’s four main home islands and Taiwan. The United States has a heavy military presence on Okinawa as part of its alliance with Japan.
The waters near the Ryukyu Islands are often used by the Chinese navy as a passage to the Western Pacific for drills.
The article said: “With the transfer of part of the US Marine Corps to Guam in recent years, the proportion of Japan’s SelfDefence Forces deployed in its southwest has shown a rapid increase.”
It went on to say that Japan was “actively changing” its defensive role and had “repeatedly advocated the use of the so-called ‘joint deterrent’”.
Beijing says Taiwan is its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. Japan and most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state.
The PLA Daily criticism follows similar statements last week from the Chinese defence ministry, which said Japan’s “continuous military breakthrough” showed “dangerous intentions” and the international community should stay alert.
Japan has previously described China’s increasing military activity in the region as a “strategic challenge” and said the new missile regiment was designed to strengthen its “deterrence and response capabilities” in the Ryukyu Islands.