PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES FROM PACIFIST POWER

In a first since 1993, Japan – a pacifist nation since World War II – carried out massive military exercises between September and November to prepare for a potential conflict that could result from China’s growing aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.

Japan is a member of the four-nation, US-led Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which also includes India and Australia. The grouping, popularly known as the Quad, is widely believed to be an anti-China formation. Its members have vowed to ensure a ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific, one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, which has become a focal point of tension over the past years.

Tokyo carried out the military drills as it is concerned over Beijing’s unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the region by use of force and feels that such aggression is a common concern, not only in Asia but across the world.

Over the past years, China, which claims most of the disputed South China Sea as well as the Japan-held Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, has downplayed its growing maritime activities, saying that Beijing has the right to defend its sovereignty, security and development interests.

In February, China enacted a new maritime security law that allows its coastguard ships to attack foreign vessels in waters that Beijing deems its territory. Chinese vessels routinely violate Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku islands, at times threatening the Japanese fishing boats. 

Now, in a first, Chinese and Russian warships have recently patrolled the Pacific Ocean, raising further concerns in Tokyo.

Japan is also worried that China has been threatening Taiwan by flying fighter jets into its air defence zone, while North Korea is deliberately challenging the international nuclear non-proliferation order.

Not only is North Korea amassing a large stockpile of missiles that can hit Japan, Pyongyang recently test-fired a new ballistic missile from a submarine that landed in the Sea of Japan, forcing a review of Tokyo’s missile defence programme.

Against this backdrop, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) conducted the military exercises in which around 100,000 personnel, 20,000 vehicles and 120 aircraft participated to develop operational readiness, deterrence and response capabilities.

Set up in 1954, the last time the GSDF conducted similar exercises was in 1993. As the force has never faced an actual conflict, the recent military exercises were designed to give the troops a war-like feel through simulated games.

The location of the military drills, the Hijudai Manoeuvring Area in Oita prefecture, was chosen carefully as the terrain is similar to the southern islands, including the uninhabited Senkaku islands, which are under Japanese control but are claimed by China.

The Senkaku islands chain is around 1,900 km from Tokyo but only 600 km away from Shanghai in China. The islands have been a bone of contention between Japan and China for over a century.

Military exercises were also conducted on Miyako Island, Amami Oshima and the Yonaguni Island, which is just 234 km from Taiwan.

These combat drills were part of a plan that includes efforts to double Japan’s defence expenditure, from the mandated 1 percent of GDP to around 2 percent, strengthening security alliance with the US and deepening military cooperation with European countries such as the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Japan spends $50 billion annually on defence, compared to the US’s $778 bn, China’s $252 bn, India’s $71 bn, $61 bn for Russia, $59 bn for the UK, France’s $52 bn, and Germany’s $52 bn.