BEIJING: Japan’s latest hype on the so-called “South China Sea arbitration award” stands as another stark reminder of Tokyo’s unrelenting militarist ambition.
Japan has repeatedly attempted to portray itself as a “stakeholder” in the issue concerning South China Sea, where it has neither territorial claims nor any legitimate standing.
Obviously, Japan is not interested in safeguarding regional stability. What it truly aspires to do is to justify the expansion of its strategic and military footprint far beyond its own neighborhood.
To materialize its ambitions, Japan in recent years has attempted to peddle the so-called “China threat,” and exploit regional maritime disputes to sow divisions and fuel tensions.
For some time, Japan has been stepping up collaboration with the Philippines and expanding its export of weapons and equipment to the country. Japan has also deployed military forces overseas on many occasions and launched offensive missiles.
Domestically, Japanese right-wing forces have steadily chipped away at the constraints of the postwar pacifist Constitution, pushing the country’s security policies in an increasingly offensive and expansionist direction.
Tokyo has also significantly revised the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and their implementation guidelines, and is considering exporting or providing lethal weapons free of charge, including decommissioned destroyer escorts, to the Philippines and other countries. This is, in essence, a trial run for building a regional arms export network, and a vehicle for projecting Japanese military power overseas.
These actions go far beyond the scope of self-defense, violate Japan’s Constitution and the norms of international law, and challenge the postwar international order.
The calculations behind Japan’s moves are too obvious to be missed. By portraying itself as a so-called defender of regional and global peace, Japan is seeking to normalize a military role that would have been unthinkable only a decade ago.
Make no mistake: a Japan that has yet to truly atone for its wartime aggression and is once again pursuing military expansion is a deeply troubling threat to the region and the wider world.
Countries in the region, many of which still bear the scars of Japan’s wartime atrocities, should remain vigilant and work together to prevent Tokyo from turning the South China Sea into another arena for its military ambitions.
