Japan military upgrade plans spark concerns for Asia security, experts say

Reports that Japan may deploy long-range missiles to counter China have alarmed experts, who say the country is aggressively moving away from peaceful development and its pacifist Constitution.

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper on Sunday reported that Japan is seeking to deploy 1,000 long-range missiles in addition to its stockpile of anti-ballistic missiles to boost its counterattack capability against China, citing unidentified government sources.

The report is significant because Japan's pacifist Constitution forbids it from having weapons that can strike targets on foreign soil. A source quoted in the report directly named China as the reason for the deployment of such missiles. Officials are usually more guarded on linking upgrades in military capabilities to Japan's perceived concerns over China.

"This is a very regrettable signal," said Atsushi Koketsu, emeritus professor at Yamaguchi University of Japan. Adherence to the pacifist Constitution and striving to achieve historical reconciliation with China, South Korea and other Asian neighbors should be a priority of Japan, the scholar said.

Koketsu said Japan's past militarism had caused great harm to its Asian neighbors and to Japanese as well. Only by correctly understanding its history of aggression can Japan avoid repeating the same mistakes.

"However, since the end of World War II, Japan has never truly completed the task of reflecting on its historical guilt," Koketsu said. "The Japanese government has not yet fully realized that Japan should bear the historical responsibility for launching wars and colonial rule.

"The right-wing conservatives intensified the situation as they continue to spread the wrong historical cognition of denying the war of aggression in Japanese society while demanding the revision of the pacifist Constitution. They also hope to follow the United States and engage in major power confrontations in the region."

Koketsu said Japan's heavy bet on its alliance with the US and its strategy of moving closer to NATO has created the potential for war in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Japan is an Asian country and has the responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the Asian region," Koketsu said. "The stability of the relationship between Japan and China is crucial to creating a peaceful future in Asia, and countries in the region also want this."

Lan Shunzheng, a member of the Chinese Institute of Command and Control, a think tank on defense and military technology based in Beijing, said the reports of Japan's missile plans are jangling nerves in neighboring countries.

Of Japan's reported missile plans, Lan said: "Japan is pursuing a greater military presence. If this time it succeeds, it will deploy more. If it keeps doing so, a new arms race could be triggered, bringing more chaos into the region."

Lan said the reports also signaled Japan's long-term pursuit of military expansion, especially when it comes to offensive weapons.

"It not only violates the spirit of its pacifist Constitution, but also ratchets up geopolitical tensions," Lan said.