KCNA Commentary on Japan's Moves for Overseas Expansion

Pyongyang, April 15 (KCNA) -- Warships of the maritime "Self-Defense Force" of Japan Akizuki and Michishio are now active in waters off Southeast Asia under the pretext of trial voyage to the deep sea. The ships reportedly supplied fuel to the warships of the U.S. navy 17 times last year under the pretext of the "agreement on mutual provision of materials and labor". As known, Japan was deprived of the "right to collective self-defense" by law after it was disarmed following its defeat in the Second World War. Japan, however, laid a legal springboard from which to launch military operations for aggression in any region of the world under the pretext of "supporting allies" including the U.S. forces, after expanding the sphere of the military operations of the SDF to the vast areas of Asia and the rest of the world. Today Japan's moves for overseas expansion which have gained momentum with the backing of the U.S. arouse serious concern of the international community including regional countries. An internet homepage of Russia clarified that Japan has often cited "threats from the DPRK" in order to deter China and that now it designs to pressure China and play a key role in the Indian and Pacific oceans together with the U.S. A spokesman for the Defense Ministry of China stressed that it is imperative to be further vigilant against Japan's tendency to develop attack weapons necessary for surpassing "exclusive defense". In the world today which has faced the unprecedented change of the situation of peace and stability, Japan's outdated way of thinking aimed at overseas expansion will never yield a good result. The world must be vigilant against Japan's moves for overseas expansion. -0-