THE yearly white paper released by Japan’s defense ministry outlined the military’s position on several issues ranging from Russia and China’s military activities to North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
The report released on Friday warned that the possibility of a scenario similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cannot be ruled out. Moreover, Russia’s military ties with China and North Korea were identified as a concern.
A deal signed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un alarmed Japan as well as its allies South Korea and the United States.
North Korea’s sustained focus on improving its nuclear and missile capabilities while securing a stronger intelligence and surveillance prowess also alarmed Japan including Pyongyang’s missile tests and ambitions to launch a military spy satellite into orbit.
Additionally, Japan described China’s regular deployment of ships to areas close to disputed islands in the East China Sea as the country’s greatest strategic challenge.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said the new era of crisis facing the post-war world
prompted Japan to push through dramatic changes in defense policy including increasing its budget.
Japan has put into force at least 42 percent of its defense plan to double its military spending by 2027 to be at par with the West’s gold standard of 2 percent of GDP.
The defense ministry published the white paper a few days after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to strengthen ties in the face of a deepening military partnership between North Korea and Russia.
