The resolution, which is regarded as a major overhaul of Japan' s postwar security policy, sets three new conditions that would enable the exercise of the collective self-defense right, such as when there are "clear dangers" to the lives of its people and their rights due to armed attacks on Japan or "countries with close ties."
It, in substance, will enable Japan to take military action to defend other countries even though the nation itself is not under attack, leaving the war-renouncing Article 9 of the country's Constitution a dead letter.
The move taken by the government led by Shinzo Abe was strongly opposed by Japanese people. On Sunday, a man set himself on fire on a busy Tokyo street, while a day later, thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of Abe's official residence, protesting against Abe and his attempt to broaden Japan's military capabilities.
South Korea and China, two nations that suffered under Japanese wartime aggression, have also expressed concerns. "We are against any move by the Japanese side that undermines regional peace, security and stability," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters last Friday.
(Xinhua) - cntv.cn
1/7/14
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Japan takes historic step from post-war pacifism, OKs fighting for allies...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - Japan took a historic step away from its post-war pacifism on Tuesday by ending a ban that has kept the military from fighting abroad since 1945, a victory for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe but a move that has riled China and worries many Japanese voters.
The change, the most dramatic shift in policy since Japan set up its post-war armed forces 60 years ago, will widen Japan's military options by ending the ban on exercising "collective self-defense", or aiding a friendly country under attack.
Abe's cabinet adopted a resolution outlining the shift, which also relaxes limits on activities in U.N.-led peace-keeping operations and "grey zone" incidents short of full-scale war, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters.
Long constrained by the post-war constitution, Japan's armed forces will become more aligned with the militaries of other advanced nations in terms of its options. However, the government will be wary of putting boots on the ground in multilateral operations such as the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Abe repeated that stance on Tuesday, while stressing Japan had to respond to an increasingly tough security environment.
"There is no change in the general principle that we cannot send troops overseas," Abe told a televised news conference, flanked by a poster showing Japanese mothers and infants fleeing a theoretical combat zone on a U.S. vessel under attack.
The United States, which defeated Japan in World War Two then became its close ally with a security cooperation treaty, welcomed the Japanese move..................http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/01/us-japan-defense-idUSKBN0F52S120140701?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
Japan and the United States announced Friday that they will delay the revision of their defense guidelines planned in the end of this year until the first half of 2015 so as to keep in step with Japan's legislation over the right to collective self-defense, according to local media....
ReplyDeleteThe guideline revision is expected to come in May or later in 2015 as the government here is likely to submit relevant security legislation to a Diet session after nationwide local election slated for April, Japan's Kyodo News quoted a government official as saying.
Japan and its US ally said in an interim report in October that the two sides will expand the scope of cooperation between their forces by removing existing geographical limits and to ensure a "seamless" response amid the changing environment.
It also said the new guidelines will "appropriately" reflect Japan's reinterpretation of its pacifist war-renouncing Constitution in July to allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to exercise the right of collective self-defense.
The two countries agreed last year to revise their defense cooperation guidelines, which define the role and mission of the SDF and the US military.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/897633.shtml
19/12/14