Japan adopts proactive defense policy with eye on China`s rise+

TOKYO, Dec. 17 Kyodo -
Japan adopted a new defense policy outline Friday expressing increased concern
about China's military rise and introducing a new defense posture enabling more
flexible responses to threats including terrorism and North Korean missiles,
while beefing up security around its remote islands.
The National Defense Program Guidelines, the first for the government led by
the Democratic Party of Japan, described China's military rise and other
actions such as its increasing naval activities around Japan's southwestern
islands as a ''matter of concern for the region and the international
community.''
It is the first time that the defense outline has referred to China in such
strong terms, with the previous 2004 defense outline urging Japan to ''remain
attentive'' to China's future actions.
China objected to Japan's naming of its military development as a concern.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in Beijing that individual countries
''have no right to represent the international community and make irresponsible
remarks on China's development.''
In Tokyo, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said that the defense outline
''befits'' current times in which Japan is facing a testing security
environment.
''I believe the outline, in introducing the concept dubbed 'dynamic defense
capability' -- which can deal with the new, complex security environment -- is
considerably innovative,'' Kitazawa said at a news conference.
In embracing the concept of ''dynamic defense capability,'' the new guidelines
reflect a shift from the prior basic defense concept, which was designed to
maintain the minimum necessary defense capability for Japan to avoid becoming a
destabilizing factor in the region.
The current defense outline sees a reorganization of Japanese troops to cut
down on personnel in Hokkaido Prefecture in the country's north and reduce the
Cold War-era equipment and formation and instead boost security around the
Nansei Islands in Okinawa Prefecture in the country's southwest, near China and
Taiwan.
With these regional concerns in mind, Japan aims to strengthen its defense
cooperation with those countries it shares democratic values with such as South
Korea, Australia and India, in addition to its key ally, the United States,
with whom it will also work to counter cyber attacks, the guidelines said.
The Cabinet also approved a new midterm defense buildup program, under which
the budget for the next five years will be worth around 23.49 trillion yen,
down 750 billion yen from the level of its previous defense program from fiscal
2005-2009, in the face of the nation's dire fiscal situation.
The guidelines, which looked at the nation's defense policy over a 10-year
period from fiscal 2011, did not mention a review of Japan's longstanding arms
export ban due to protests from opposition lawmakers, whose support the
government and ruling bloc cannot afford to lose as they seek to pass key bills
for fiscal 2011.
The document, however, contains wording that essentially opens the door toward
a possible lifting of the weapons export ban, which is a politically sensitive
issue given Japan's pacifist Constitution.
The outline stated that Japan will ''consider measures to deal with major
changes'' in the global environment involving weapons, citing a trend among
advanced nations to conduct joint development or production of arms as a way to
cut costs and improve quality.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, meanwhile, issued a statement that the
government will continue to abide by the basic philosophy of the ''three
principles'' which make up the nation's weapons export ban.
The three principles prohibiting arms deals with communist states, countries
subject to an embargo under U.N. resolutions and those involved in
international conflicts were established in 1967 under the Cabinet of Prime
Minister Eisaku Sato. They were later tightened into a virtual ban on weapons
exports, with exceptions such as the supply of weapons technology to the United
States.
Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara told a press conference that he believes joint
arms production ''will become mainstream'' globally and that Japan's
participation in such joint development projects ''would not infringe upon the
existing philosophy'' of the country's arms embargo.
As part of Japan's efforts to step up vigilance on air, land and sea, the
Defense Ministry will boost its deployment of Patriot Advanced Capability-3
interceptor missiles across Japan to counter the threat of North Korea's
ballistic missiles, and enhance the performance of Aegis destroyers, the
midterm defense program showed.
According to the attached appendix, the number of Maritime Self-Defense Force
submarines is up to 22 from 16 in light of China's recent naval activities in
waters near the Sea of Japan, while the number of tanks and artillery weapons
is down by about 200 each to 400.
The quota for Ground Self-Defense Force personnel was reduced to 154,000 from
the current 155,000.
The guidelines also cited a review of the current five principles for
participating in the U.N. peacekeeping operations and the creation of a new
government entity to beef up the intelligence functions of the prime minister's
office.
Maehara called for discussions on whether to allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces
to use weapons in U.N. peacekeeping operations, pointing to the vague wording
of the rule concerned.
The current principle says the use of weapons by SDF troops ''shall be limited
to the minimum necessary to protect the lives of personnel.''
==Kyodo