The Japanese government on December 10 adopted a new "Outline of Defense Plan" as the country's security policy in the coming decade, as well as the "Mid-Term Defense Forces Reorganization Plan" for fiscal year 2005-2009. The new outline, which has roused wide concern, particularly uneasiness among Japan's Asian neighbors, has finally shown its true features.

Defense policy overhauled

The new outline is a programmatic document guiding the building of Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF), which dates back to 1976. The current one, revised in 1995 to adapt to the post-Cold-War world situation, keeps the "basic defense force concept" as prescribed in the 1976 "Outline", i.e., maintaining the "basic, minimum force needed for self-defense", meanwhile, it expands major SDF functions from resisting invasion to defending homeland, handling large-scale calamities and contributing to international peace.

The latest outline points out that since Japan is facing new-type threats including weapons of mass destruction (WMD), ballistic missile proliferation and terrorism, it must therefore adjust the "basic defense force concept" of the previous Cold-War type, and build a multi-functional, flexible and efficient defense force. Besides, the new outline sets down two major objectives in the national security strategy--"to prevent threats from directly affecting Japan" and "to improve the international environment so as to prevent threats from affecting Japan", at the same time, it takes "international peace cooperation" as the basic task of SDF. Compared with the previous "Outline" which was revised once every 20 years, for the current outline, not only the interval of revision is shortened by hundred percent, but the effort exerted in revision far surpasses that of the past.

This indicates significant adjustments to Japan's defense policy. What merits attention are the following points.

Play up Chinese military threats

After the Cold War, the new outline points out, the military threats from Russia in the Far East has diminished greatly, Japan's security environment is faced with new-type threats caused by WMD, the proliferation of ballistic missiles and activities of international terrorist organizations. Aside from mentioning threat from DPRK's WMD and ballistic missiles, the new outline particularly calls "attention" to the trends of China's nuclear weapons, missiles, the modernization of its naval and air forces as well as the expansion of its oceanic activities. It's already a matter of common practice that Japan has often referred to the DPRK in its talks about things in recent years, but it is the first time that in its "Outline of Defense Plan" Japan explicitly pointed to threat from Chinese military forces. The new outline clearly mentions the unclear situation across the Taiwan Straits and declares that it would "adopt proper measures against foreign submarines sneaked into Japanese waters". When this is analyzed in association with former Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's recent open opposition to EU's lifting of arms embargo against China and a series of other activities, it is not hard to deduce that Japan has increasingly directed its defense spearhead at China.

Two major objectives in security strategy

The new outline sets two major objectives in its security strategy-- "to prevent threats from directly affecting Japan" and "to improve the international security environment so as to prevent threats from affecting Japan". To put it simply, that means "to defend Japan" and "to conduct international peace activities". The new outline also sets forth three ways for achieving the two objectives--Japan's own efforts, cooperation with its ally the United States and cooperation with the international community. That is, through the three means Japan will try to reduce the occurrence rate of threats in various parts of the world and protect Japan, including its nationals and enterprises overseas, from being threatened. It shows that Japan has expanded the connotations of its security policy from domestic security to international security. In other words, in regard to its security interests, Japan is not contented merely with assurance of the security of its homeland, but is taking an active part in international security affairs through its military forces, it strives to prevent or eliminate threats, nip the symptom of threats in the bud, thereby establishing an external security environment in favor of Japan itself.

"International peace cooperation" highlighted

In the "Outline of Defense Plan" revised in 1995, "international peace cooperation" was listed as the third among the tasks of the SDF, in the revised "SDF Law", "international peace cooperation" was listed as a subsidiary task. The new outline upgrades "international peace cooperation" as the basic task of SDF. It stresses that "to contribute to international peace" is far from being enough and the SDF should actively carry out activities for international peace cooperation, that is, to play a role in international security affairs will become a major task of the SDF. Despite the reaffirmation of continuing the "exclusive defense" policy, in fact, however, the formulation of the security policy objectives and adjustment of SDF basic task, as mentioned above, have all changed the passive defense nature of Japan's "exclusive defense", making the country's defense strategy turn to the "active preemption and overseas intervention" strategy with the nature of advance containment.

Develop missile defense system

The new outline makes it clear that Japan will develop a ballistic missile defense system to cope with ballistic missile threats, and assist US nuclear force of containment in dealing with the threat of nuclear weapons. The system, with items of equipment and units related to the ballistic missile defense system listed in an appendix to the outline, will reportedly cost a total fund of 1 trillion yen. The intention is, under the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles", to raise Japanese military deterrent and, as a means to supplement US nuclear deterrent, to overtly guard against DPRK's ballistic missiles but covertly to counter China's missiles. This is evident from the consistent emphasis placed by Japan's Defense White Papers published in recent years on so-called China's missile threat.

Enhance quick response capability

In order to build a "multifunctional, flexible and efficient" defense force and reach the two security objectives, the new outline lays down key points in SDF's future construction. One is to strengthen the combined operation of the SDF, A foundation for such operation will be set up in the fields of organization, training and intelligence communication. For example, a joint staff organization will be set up and the intelligence department will be put under the direct leadership of the Chief Cabinet Secretary. A 4,800-people "central quick-response group" will be established by the end of 2006, which will be put directly under the Chief Cabinet Secretary, and which will exercise unified command in coping with threats and sending troops overseas. The other is to raise the capability of collecting, analyzing, evaluating and sharing intelligence. Japan should not only step up intelligence collection, the outline points out, but also should enhance the intelligence department's capability to analyze strategic intelligence through training intelligence professionals. Meanwhile, Japan should establish a large, fast and broad intelligence communication network capable of guarding against attack in a computer war and enjoying protection from a high security system, so that related armed forces can share intelligence promptly.

Visibly relaxed restriction on arms export

Although the need to revise the three principles on arms export is not clearly written into the new outline, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary has made it clear that the United States and Japan are freed from the restriction of the three principles on arms export in their joint development and production of weapons and equipment for the missile defense system program. Besides, the export of US-Japan developed and produced weaponry and equipment and the export of weapons related with international cooperation in support of counter-terrorism and attack on pirates "will be considered and decided separately as individual cases". This indicates a loosening in the 38-year-old "three principles on arms export". According to an estimate by a Japanese research institute, if Japan is allowed to export arms, it will hold 60 percent, 40 percent, and 25-30 percent of the world's warship market, military electronics market and aerospace market respectively.

To sum up, Japan has drastically adjusted its security policy with an aim to raise its combat capability, adjust its defense posture and at the same time enhance the position and role of military force in the security strategy, and give the country a bigger say in international security affairs, thereby adding bargaining chips to its goal of becoming "a normal power" and "a political power".

By People's Daily Online