When asked by the Global Times to comment on Japan’s plan to revise the rank titles of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and submit relevant amendment bill to the Diet within the year – under which the new proposal would restore wartime Imperial Japanese Army titles such as “taisho,” equivalent to “general” or “admiral,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that Japan is again seeking to restore wartime rank titles, and openly justifying it in the name of a “sense of honor.” This is an attempt to break through established norms at both the institutional and cognitive levels and is tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of victimized countries. “We can’t help but ask: Is the Japanese side still obsessed with reliving its old militarist dreams? And what exactly does this so-called ‘sense of honor’ refer to”?
The question also mentioned that some reports also said that a senior Japanese government official described the move as aiming to “create a work environment with a sense of honor and pride.”
Lin noted that after the end of World War II (WWII), Japan, as a defeated country, disbanded its military and abolished its military institutions. When Japan’s SDF was established in 1954, it abandoned the old military rank titles and adopted a new system based on numerical designations. It is widely believed within Japan that the SDF’ use of “de-militarized” rank titles was intended to sever ties with the former imperial military and reflect the spirit of Japan’s “pacifist constitution.” It is clear that rank titles are not merely a technical issue for Japan.
“In recent years, however, Japan’s security policy has been increasingly shifting toward an offensive, expansionist, and dangerous direction, long since exposing the self-proclaimed image of a ‘peace-loving nation,'” Lin added.
Japan’s “neo-militarism” is becoming increasingly entrenched and has already posed a real threat to world peace and stability. The forces of justice in the international community, including the Chinese people, should remain highly vigilant, firmly safeguard the achievements of the victory in World War II, and never allow historical tragedies to happen again, Lin said.
