Defense paper reveals Japan's pugnacity
Updated: 2016-08-05 07:57
By Li Yang(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
In its 2016 defense white paper, Japan interferes in the South China Sea. [Photo by Cai Hong/chinadaily.com.cn] |
In its defense white paper issued on Tuesday, Japan says China has destabilized the regional military balance and some of its maritime claims are conflicting. It also voices concern over the future of the region.
Japan issued the defense paper a day after China's People Liberation Army celebrated its 89th birthday. A day later, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointed Tomomi Inada as defense minister.
In charge of the government's administrative reform from December 2012 to September 2014, Inada has visited Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 class-A war criminals, every year on Aug 15, the day Japan surrendered in World War II. And on Saturday (Aug 6) Japan will mourn the deaths of thousands of people in Hiroshima, a day which right-wing Japanese have turned into an annual event to portray Japan as a victim of WWII.
Using such excuses to change the pacifist Constitution, the Abe administration has prepared a file exaggerating the external threats Japan faces. The defense white paper follows the same pattern.
In a poll conducted by Kyodo News Agency last month, 48.9 percent of the respondents said they oppose the Abe administration's revision of the Constitution that allowed Japanese troops to engage in conflicts abroad; only 35.8 percent supported it. This shows the split in Japanese society on a key issue concerning the country's future.
- Fire guts Emirates jet after hard landing; 1 firefighter dies
- Egypt's Nobel-laureate scientist dies of illness in US
- THAAD muscle flexing unmasks anxiety over declining hegemony
- British police say mental health a significant factor in London knife attack
- Paragliding fans fly over Rigi mountain in Switzerland
- DPRK fires 1 ballistic missile into east waters
- World's fastest bullet train to start operating next month
- Jack Ma visits rural school, meets teachers
- Top 8 global market leaders from China
- After Typhoon Nida, torrential rain hits S. China
- Serbian artist creates incredible 3-D art
- Glimpse into the work and life of G20 guards
- Shopping and throwing Frisbee in virtual reality
- Take a closer look at the life in Rio Olympic Village
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
US launches airstrikes against IS targets in Libya's Sirte
Ministry slams US-Korean THAAD deployment
Two police officers shot at protest in Dallas
Abe's blame game reveals his policies failing to get results
Ending wildlife trafficking must be policy priority in Asia
Effects of supply-side reform take time to be seen
Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi to meet Kerry
Chinese stocks surge on back of MSCI rumors
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |