... Japan caused many countries during WWII. Russia, undoubtedly, is closely following any changes in the positions of or attitudes in Japan.
Japan now appears to be paying more attention to the southern flank of its defences, namely the islands disputed by China. Japan is seeking to strengthen its self-defence, in particular its maritime and airborne self-defence forces, to protect the islands in the event of a conflict.
Japan now appears to be paying more attention to the southern flank of its defences, namely ...
... did not raise any serious problem because the Japanese side was sure that the Taiwanese forces would never use physical forces in the Japanese airspace even if it was part of the Taiwanese ADIZ. Such is not the case with People's Republic of China and the Japanese side cannot avoid being worried about the possibility of Chinese exercise of enforcement power in the area which is actually under Japanese control .
Tactically Brilliant, Strategically Catastrophic
As mentioned above, the ADIZ is just an ...
... may result in widening window of opportunity, or vulnerability, for Russia. I analyze that there are at least, but not only, two salient political consequence of the last election from a perspective of Russian interest.
1. Pivotal triangle of U.S.-China-Japan relations (constitutional amendment; Foreign relations and national security)
Today’s U.S.-Japan relations cannot be portrayed without seeing China on its horizon. Many claim that Prime Minister Abe’s ambition to amend Japanese constitution ...
... can be. The LDP, traditionally more pro-US than pro-China, is comfortable with this change in public opinion.
Business is business
In spite of political and military confrontations, China will remain Japan’s largest export and import partner and Japan China’s largest import partner (China’s largest export partner is the US). China, South Korea and Japan just had on March 26-28 the first round of talks on a possible trilateral free trade agreement. The total gross domestic product of the ...
... territories are covered by the American-Japanese Security Treaty (
1
,
2
). At the same time, the Americans have never undertaken to interfere and use military force on the side of their Japanese ally.
Washington is well aware of the risks ensuing from the Japan-China confrontation, on the one hand, and its allied obligations to Tokyo, on the other. Because of this, the U.S. approach to the Senkaku dispute seems somewhat similar to its decades-long policy of
strategic ambiguity
toward Taiwan. According to reputable ...
....com/pdf/seisaku_ichiban24.pdf (only in Japanese).
[2] The Japan Daily Press, "Abe will not yield islands to China" (16 November 2012) available at http://japandailypress.com/abe-will-not-yield-islands-to-china-1618497.
[3] China Daily, "Poll shows strains in China-Japan-S Korea ties" (26 November 2012) available at http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012-11/26/content_15956905.htm, visited 29 November 2012.
[4] The Mainichi, "Japan, China, S. Korea to start 3-way FTA talks early next year" (20 November ...
... most obvious scenario. This situation is further aggravated by the threat of Japan’s remilitarization, intensified disputes between China and India, and the active involvement of Vietnam, the Philippines and Australia in deterrent efforts against China.
Japan today is one of the strongest naval powers.
Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force
boasts roughly four times as many major warships as the British Royal Navy. Japan, with its sophisticated shipbuilding industry, developed military-industrial ...
... to strategic weapons.
Russia is stepping up its economic cooperation with the Asia-Pacific countries, and a number of agreements were signed at APEC 2012 with China and Japan covering the development of Russia’s Far East. Is the involvement of Japan, China and other countries in Russia’s political and economic interests?
It certainly is, for numerous reasons. First of all, because of the economic challenges we face in Far East development. For Russia, this cooperation is vital since this region ...
The long-standing territorial dispute between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands has recently deteriorated causing a chill in the relationships between the two countries. The discord between the APR leading powers may adversely affect the situation in the region. We have asked the leading expert in the ...
... most interest vested in the formation of the said group. Beijing is given a very real opportunity to prove the validity of its ambitions for recognizing the RMB (Ren Min Bi) as the key regional currency. China is promoting the project for creating the China-Japan-South Korea FTZ even though it may become a serious competitor to the already existing PRC-ASEAN FTZ. For China, the main and most attractive bonus of the NEA trilateral project is Japan’s and South Korea’s more powerful economic and technological ...
