Friday 17 December 2010

JAPAN’S NEW DEFENSE POLICY

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JAPAN SHIFTS DEFENSE POLICY TO COUNTER CHINA'S RISING MILITARY INFLUENCE

Sachiko Sakamaki and Takashi Hirokawa

Bloomberg, December 17, 2010

Japan will shift the focus of its national defense toward China and away from Russia, three months after Coast Guard vessels collided with a Chinese fishing boat and re-ignited a territorial dispute.

Japan will deploy troops to its southwestern islands and strengthen its air force in Okinawa, according to military guidelines approved by Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s Cabinet today. Personnel and tanks will be moved from the northern island of Hokkaido, close to Russia, which were put in place to counter Cold War threats.

"China is continuously increasing its defense budget, modernizing the military power of its naval and air forces including nuclear and missile capabilities," today’s report said. "These kinds of movements are, along with China’s lack of transparency in military and security, becoming a concern to the region and the international community."

The government will order 10 patrol planes from Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. under the five-year plan. The administration put off deciding whether to relax a ban on exporting weapons as sought by manufacturers including Kawasaki and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., in the face of opposition from a small party Kan is courting to help pass his budget.

(...) [artículo aquí]

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