Japan's Defense Policy 2005

Full Report : English (pdf:433k)
Full Report : Chinese (pdf:457k)

讀賣新聞: Defense report urges versatile, flexible forces

Takashi Imai Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

The latest defense white paper, which calls for Self-Defense Forces that are better able to deal with such new threats as ballistic missile attacks and guerrilla warfare was approved Tuesday at a Cabinet meeting.
Titled "Defense of Japan 2005," the report compiled by the Defense Agency also points out that it was necessary to closely monitor China's increasing defense spending and the modernization of its military.

Following a defense guideline revised in December, the white paper urges the nation's Self-Defense Forces to pursue a "multifunctional and flexible defense capability."

For that purpose, the defense white paper suggests that the SDF further unify through the creation of a joint staff office to work alongside the current joint staff council.

"The Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces will integrate organically," the white paper says, stressing the need for a more unified structure to meet a variety of purposes.

Regarding China, the white paper says, "Japan will cautiously continue efforts to determine whether the scope of China's modernization of its military goes beyond what is necessary for it to defend itself."

Addressing the issue of North Korea, the white paper predicts that the country will develop and deploy weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles as well as assist in their proliferation.

"North Korea's ultimate goal is believed to be maintaining the existing regime" of its leader, Kim Jong Il, the white paper says, speculating that North Korea may be resorting to brinkmanship by heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula while pursuing its program to acquire nuclear weapons.

The latest white paper refers at length to China's recent moves to expand its military activities, including its increasing nuclear and missile arsenal.

"China's military spending in the current fiscal year has increased 12.6 percent from the previous fiscal year," the white paper says.

"It has been increasing by more than 10 percent a year over 17 consecutive years, and the disclosed military spending in the current fiscal year is about twice the size of the budget in 2000 and three times that of 1997," the white paper says.

However, the white paper's analysis is only based on Chinese defense reports that were made public at the end of 2004.

The contents do not provide much detail and contains no new items, unlike the U.S. Defense Department's annual report released last month.

"China is not a threat to Japan, but there are issues that require attention...and we urge China to improve its transparency," Defense Agency Director General Yoshinori Ono said at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting Tuesday.

Citing an incident in November in which a Chinese nuclear submarine intruded into Japanese waters, the report said Japan was keeping a closer watch on the movements of Chinese naval vessels.

Japan also is concerned about China's natural gas drilling projects in the East China Sea near an area that Japan claims as part of its exclusive economic zone.

(Aug. 3, 2005)