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2002-2004

[Government and Policy] [Information and Research] [News] [Papers]

~ 2001

Ex-Taiwan Leader Visits Japanese Spa, Angering Chinese
(AP, Dec. 28, 2004) Taiwan's former president Lee Teng-hui arrived in Japan for a weeklong visit to a hot springs resort and university town, despite warnings from China that the visit by a symbol of Taiwan's independence movement could damage relations between Tokyo and Beijing.

Japan No. 2 on Buyer List for U.S. Arms
(Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 26, 2004) Japan imported more arms from the United States under the Foreign Military Sales program than any other Asian country last year.

Japan to Let Taiwan's Lee Visit, China Protests
(Reuters, Dec. 17, 2004) Japan plans to allow former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui to visit for a sightseeing tour, prompting an angry protest from China at a time of already frosty ties.

China Criticizes Japan's New Defense Guidelines
(AP, Dec. 12, 2004) China expressed concern at Japan's new defense guidelines that ease a ban on weapons exports and criticized them for describing Beijing as a threat.

Japan Gets More Active in Defense
(CNN, Dec. 10, 2004) Japan has severed another tie with its post-war pacifist defense posture, with the government adopting new policy guidelines which include a more active role in international conflicts.

Taiwan 'Regrets' Japan's Stance on Sub
(Taipei Times, Nov 27, 2004) The Presidential Office expressed regret over the Japanese government's denial that Taiwan informed it of the intrusion of a Chinese submarine into its territorial waters earlier this month.

Chen Claims Taipei Told Japan About Chinese Submarine
(Taipei Times, Nov. 20, 2004) President Chen Shui-bian said that Taiwan had alerted Japan about China's submarine intrusion into Japanese waters last week.

China Regrets Submarine Intrusion
(AP, Nov. 16, 2004) China expressed regret over an incursion by a Chinese submarine into Japanese territorial waters last week, Japan's Kyodo News reported.

China's Sub Intrusion Sparks Tokyo Protest
(Japan Times, Nov. 13, 2004) Tokyo lodged a strong protest with Beijing after confirming that a submarine that intruded into Japan's territorial waters off Okinawa earlier this week belongs to the Chinese Navy.

Unidentified Submarine Spotted in Japan Waters; MND Monitoring Intruder Closely (AP, Nov. 11, 2004) Japan's navy went on alert yesterday when an unidentified submarine made a brief incursion into the country's southern waters near Okinawa.

FM: 'China Attack' Hypes in Japanese Media Baseless
(China Daily, Nov. 10, 2004) China expressed its grave concerns over Japanese media reports fabricating the "China threat" and on the three hypotheses under which China could attack Japan.

Japan Studies Scenarios of Attacks by China – Report
(Reuters, Nov. 9, 2004) Military attacks on Japan by China have been studied in three scenarios outlined in a discussion paper for officials at Japan's Defense Agency, a media report said on Monday, a revelation likely to upset Beijing.

Japan Plans to Develop Missile Components with US
(AFP, Oct. 12, 2004) Japan plans to develop components for interception missiles by advancing its joint missile-defence research with the United States.
The plan will require Tokyo to ease its decades-old ban on arms exports.

Japan Defense Agency Eyes SDF Update
(Japan Times, Sep. 1, 2004) The Defense Agency requested 4.933 trillion yen for its fiscal 2005 budget to update the Self-Defense Forces to make them better prepared to counter terrorist, guerrilla, missile and other threats.

Japan, China Agree on Regular Meetings Including South Korea
(Kyodo News, Apr. 5, 2004) Japan has agreed with China to hold regular trilateral dialogue involving China, Japan and South Korea to strengthen cooperation on regional issues.

China Tells Japan to Release 7 Arrested on Disputed Island
(NYT, March 26, 2004) China accused Japan of violating its sovereignty and demanded the immediate release of seven activists who had landed on a disputed island chain in the East China Sea.

Trade with China Boosts Japan Surplus
(Financial Times, Feb. 24, 2004) China's booming economy helped push Japan's trade surplus up almost five-fold last month compared with January 2003.

Mori Begins Three-Day Taiwan Trip
(Taipei Times, Dec. 26, 2003) President Chen Shui-bian met visiting former Japanese prime minister Yoshiro Mori, who arrived yesterday for a three-day private visit despite Beijing's complaints about the trip.

Japan, ASEAN Boost Security Ties
(Reuters, Dec. 13, 2003) Japan and Southeast Asia agreed to tighten security and economic ties, a day after Tokyo said it would start free trade talks with Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Japan Must Engage the Chinese Dragon By Yoichi Funabashi
(Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 14, 2003) I recently visited Mr Yasuhiro Nakasone, former member of the Lower House, at his office in Tokyo.

Japan Says Its U.S. Alliance Helps Maintain Asian Peace
(NYT, Oct. 17, 2003) Japan's defense minister said that a strong Japanese-American alliance was vital to the peace of the region at a time of great uncertainty and change.

Million Chinese Sign Anti - Japan Online Petition
(Reuters, Sep. 17, 2003) More than one million Chinese have signed an online petition demanding that Japan compensate victims poisoned by recently unearthed World War II-era chemical weapons and apologize.

China Slams Japan's Military Plans
(CNN.com, Sep. 1, 2003) Beijing has stepped up an attack on Tokyo's "re-militarization" even as Japan's defense chief is visiting the Chinese capital on a fence-mending trip.

Japan Defense Minister Seeks to Reassure China
(Reuters, Aug. 31, 2003) Japan's defence minister flies to China on Monday to try to alleviate Beijing's concerns over Japanese efforts to boost its defence capabilities.

Japan Seeks Shield for North Korean Missiles
(NYT, Aug. 30, 2003) Hours after North Korea reportedly threatened to test a nuclear bomb, Japan's Defense Ministry asked Parliament here to spend $1 billion a year through 2007 to build an American-designed missile-defense shield.

Japan, China Plan First-Ever Mutual Warship Visits
(AFP, Aug. 18, 2003) The Japanese and Chinese governments plan to conduct the first-ever mutual visits by warships this year as they hope to resume stalled military exchanges.

China Web Site Launches Anti-Japanese Petition
(Reuters, Aug. 9, 2003) More than 80,000 Chinese have signed an online petition against China buying Japanese technology for a planned $20 billion train linking Shanghai and Beijing, an anti-Japanese Web site said.

Japan Nuclear Deterrent Idea Hit
(Japan Times, Aug. 7, 2003) Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda denounced calls by people who suggest that Japan possess nuclear weapons as a deterrent, saying this would only be perceived as a threat by other countries.

Japanese Vote to Send Military Forces to Iraq
(AP, July 26, 2003) Lawmakers voted to send Japanese forces to Iraq to help with reconstruction, despite delaying tactics by the opposition that deteriorated into a wild shoving match.

Japan Seeks Defense Chief Visit to Reassure China
(Reuters, July 22, 2003) Japan is trying to arrange a visit to Beijing by its defense minister which it hopes will help ease China's concerns over its efforts to boost its security role.

Japan Sends SDF Planes, Troops to Jordan for Iraq Relief
(Kyodo News, July 10, 2003) Two Air Self-Defense Force transport aircraft carrying 41 Self-Defense Force officers left Japan for Jordan to help deliver relief supplies for the Iraqi people.

Japan's Military on Risk-Free Route to Iraq By Axel Berkofsky
(Asia Times, June 12, 2003) Japan's military is getting bored. The country's Self-Defense Forces, currently refueling US, UK, Canadian and French warships in the Indian Ocean, would like to move on or sail home

Japan Adopts Laws Strengthening Military Powers
(NYT, June 7, 2003) Japan's Parliament passed a series of war contingency bills that give the government significantly increased powers in military emergencies.

Japan Takes Steps to Boost Military
(AP, May 15, 2003) A set of bills to bolster Japan's ability to respond to attack passed a critical vote, marking a major victory for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi but raising concerns over this country's commitment to the strictly defensive policy.

Debate Over Japan Introducing Missile Defense 'Heating Up'
(Kyodo News, Apr. 23, 2003) The Japanese Defense Agency is studying introducing two types of missile defense systems. One is a sea-based missile defense system with Aegis-equipped destroyers. The other is a ground-based PAC-3 system, an advanced version of the Patriot missile defense system.

Japan Defends Cluster Bombs
(CNN.com, Apr. 19, 2003) Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba has defended Japan's stockpiling of cluster bombs which can harm civilians and said its military, whose reach is limited by a pacifist constitution, would never use them overseas.

Japanese Official Wants Defense Against Missiles Expanded
(NYT, Apr. 17, 2003) Japan's defense minister called for expansion of his country's antimissile defenses. To some, Japan is moving from passive defense to active defense.

Japan to Launch Spy Satellites
(Washington Post, Mar. 26, 2003) Under tight security, Japan is preparing to launch two spy satellites Friday that will mark the country's first military use of space and begin moving its intelligence agencies away from dependence on the United States.

Japan Debated Nuke Arsenal
(CNN.com, Feb. 21, 2003) Japan has revealed it considered developing its own atomic arsenal in 1995 to counter the threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea. But the proposal was rejected, due to fears Tokyo would lose U.S. military protection and also alarm its Asian neighbors.

Japan, US to Conduct Joint Missile-Interception Tests
(AFP, Feb. 17, 2003) Japan and the United States have decided to conduct joint tests on intercepting ballistic missiles in Hawaii as fears grew that North Korea may resume its own missile test-firing.

Japan Ready for N. Korea Attack
(CNN.com, Feb. 14, 2003) Japan has warned it would attack North Korea if it had evidence Pyongyang was preparing to launch ballistic missiles, Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said.

Japan to Dispatch Two More Military Vessels to Support Anti-Terror Campaign
(AP, Feb. 1, 2003) Japan will dispatch two more military vessels early this month in support of the U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan against remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaida.

How Japan Befuddles the Americans
(International Herald Tribune, Jan. 13, 2003) No magician could have done more for Japan's interests than has America's tectonic shift of attention to China. It is taking the critical spotlight off Japan.

China Protests Japan Islands Lease
(BBC, Jan. 5, 2003) China has made a formal protest to the Japanese ambassador to Beijing over a plan by Japan to assert sovereignty over three disputed islands by renting them from a private owner.

U.S. Informs Japan Joint Missile Shield To Be Deployed in 2008
(Kyodo News, Nov. 10, 2002) The United States has told Japan that it plans to begin deploying interceptor missiles in 2008 under the countries' joint missile-defense initiative, Japanese and U.S. government sources said.

Japan Courts ASEAN with Eye on China
(Reuters, Nov. 4, 2002) Japan will greet Southeast Asian leaders with talk of free-trade agreements and closer relations when they gather in Cambodia later this week.

China to Catch Japan by 2032: Survey
(Japan Times, Sep. 23, 2002) Some 79 percent of Japanese and 59 percent of Chinese people believe China will catch up with Japan economically within 30 years.

NSC Chief Asks Japan to Influence Asia
(Taipei Times, Sep. 20, 2002) National Security Council Secretary-General Chiou I-jen expressed his hope that Japan can play a more active role in economic and political affairs in Asia.

Japan Has 'Important Role' in Cross-Strait Relations, Says Koizumi
(CNA, Sep. 12, 2002) Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said that his country has an "important role" in creating an environment for Taiwan and China to settle their differences in a peaceful manner.

Aide of Japanese FM to Resign in Protest
(CNA, Aug. 25, 2002) Kenichi Mizuno, a member of the Lower House of the Japanese Diet, will submit his resignation from his official post as an aide to the foreign minister in a bid to protest against the ministry's decision to forbid him from visiting Taiwan.

Taiwan Seeks Closer Security, Economic Ties with Japan, U.S.
(AFP, Aug. 22, 2002) President Chen Shui-bian said that Taiwan, Japan and the United States should forge closer security ties because they shared the same democratic values.

Japanese Argue Over China Aid
(Financial Times, July 22, 2002) Yoriko Kawaguchi, Japan's foreign minister, has argued against a further cut in aid to China, pitting herself against some senior members of the ruling Liberal Democratic party.

Japan, China to Draft Consular Treaty
(Kyodo News, June 21, 2002) The foreign ministers of Japan and China have agreed to work on a bilateral consular treaty to avoid diplomatic conflicts such as the row triggered by China's removal of five North Korean asylum seekers from a Japanese consulate last month.

Japan: MSDF Lobbied for U.S. Aegis Request
(Asahi Shimbun, May 6, 2002) The request by Washington for the Maritime Self-Defense Force to add Aegis warships to the anti-terror campaign appears to have had its roots in lobbying by Japanese naval officers.

China Delays Japan Trip after Shrine Visit
(CNN.com, April 24, 2002) China has responded to the latest war shrine visit by Japan's leader by postponing a visit from Japan's defense minister. China has said it will also postpone a naval vessel visit to Japan next month.

Japan to Debate Military Changes
(BBC, April 17, 2002) Japan's ruling coalition has submitted to parliament a controversial change to the country's defence law which would increase the military's ability to respond to an armed attack.

Japan Considering Creation of East Asia Free-Trade Area Before 2010
(Japan Times, April 14, 2002) The envisioned free-trade zone would encompass Japan and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The grouping, dubbed by Japanese officials as "ASEAN plus five."

China is Not a Threat: Koizumi
(Kyodo News, April 13, 2002) Neighbor's growing economic power called an 'opportunity.' Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said that Japan and China need to strengthen their "mutually complementary" economic ties, denying that China is an economic threat to Japan.

Tokyo Politician Warns Beijing It Can Go Nuke 'Overnight'
(AFP, April 8, 2002) A conservative Japanese political leader, Ichiro Ozawa, has warned Beijing that Japan can arm itself with nuclear weapons overnight if China goes ahead with an excessive military build-up.

China and Japan Look to Restore Relations
(Financial Times, April 3, 2002) Li Peng, chairman of China's National People's Congress, arrived in Japan for the start of an official visit that may help mend fences between the two countries after relations were badly strained last year.

Japan to Reduce Assistance Loans to China
(Financial Times, March 29, 2002) Japan indicated that it would reduce loans that form part of its official development assistance to China by 25 per cent, in line with Tokyo's revised aid policy towards its largest trading partner in Asia.

China, Japan Hold Vice-ministerial Security Talks
(People’s Daily, March 19, 2002) China and Japan held their first vice-ministerial security meeting in Tokyo on regional security, defense policies and other issues of common concern.

Japan Differs with Bush's "Axis of Evil" Take on North Korea
(AFP, Feb. 15, 2002) Japan's defence minister on said North Korea should not have been lumped in with Iran and Iraq by US President George W. Bush as part of an "axis of evil." "I think North Korea is not on an equal footing with Iran and Iraq because it has no links with al-Qaeda or the Taliban."

Japan, U.S. Set Defense Talks
(Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 27, 2002) The Japanese and U.S. governments are set to start a vice ministerial-level strategic dialogue on bilateral defense and diplomatic issues in Washington in early May. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U.S. President George W. Bush are expected to finalize a timetable for the high-level talks during a summit Feb. 18 in Tokyo.

Strained Japan-China Ties Bode Ill for Region's Future By Frank Ching (Japan Times, Dec. 25, 2004) Beijing's relations with Tokyo have been worsened by Japan's release on Dec. 10 of a new National Defense Program Outline.

Relations Between Japan and China Enter a New Phase
(AFP, Dec. 23, 2004) Tokyo's decision to grant Lee Teng-hui a visa in the face of Beijing's protests is indicative of a growing power struggle between the two nations.

More Than Half of Chinese People Nonchalant Towards Japan Due to Its Neglect of History (People’s Daily, Nov. 28, 2004) The results of the second survey on Sino-Japanese public opinion conducted in September and October 2004 showed that more Chinese have nonchalant attitude toward Japan.

Chen Shui-bian Intends to Build a 'New Strategic Triangle' By Sun Shengliang (People’s Daily, Nov. 6, 2004) Maybe some day in the future, people would suddenly discover that the Taiwan issue has become a most important and most sensitive question between China and Japan.

U.S. Forces' Transformation By Yoichi Funabashi
(Asahi Shimbun, Sep. 29, 2004) Japan should seek to maintain ''a healthy balance of power'' supported by the Japan-U.S. alliance. Although China is not a military threat at present, it presents a security risk.

Japan PM Advisers See China Military Threat
(Reuters, Sep. 15, 2004) In a move that could further chill ties between the two Asian powers, an advisory panel to Japan's prime minister will say China should be described as a military threat in a defense review, the Nihon Keizai newspaper reported.

Japan's Place in the World: Japan-U.S Strategic Dialogue By Yoichi Funabashi (Asahi Shimbun, Sep. 7, 2004) The Bush administration is planning to reorganize U.S. troops and bases in Japan as part of an overall redeployment of U.S. forces in the region. But the Cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has maintained a cautious stance all along.

Japan-China Mind Games By Brad Glosserman
(Japan Times, Sep. 5, 2004) A smooth and cooperative Japan-China relationship is essential to regional peace, stability and prosperity. Yet increasing interaction at just about every level of the relationship has generated many irritants.

SDF Role Upgrade: Big Change Offered for Defense Policy
(Asahi Shinbum, Aug. 26, 2004 ) The Defense Agency plans to revise the law governing the Self-Defense Forces to make overseas missions part of the troops' primary duties, a move that could radically change Japan's defense-only policy.

Japan, U.S. May Increase Base Sharing
(Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 22, 2004) The number of military bases in Japan designated for use by both the Self-Defense Forces and U.S. troops may be increased as part of the planned realignment of U.S. military capabilities.

When Will China and Japan Let History Be History? By Goh Sui Noi (Straits Times, Aug. 14, 2004) When will China and Japan emerge from the long shadow of a bitter past and get on with a relationship that is essentially in deep freeze?

In Soccer Loss, a Glimpse of China's Rising Ire at Japan By Jim Yardley (New York Times, Aug. 9, 2004) The most strident criticism of Japan now comes from a generation born long after the end of the war, which in China is known as the War of Resistance against Japan.

What's the Root Cause of Impeded Sino-Japan Relations?
(China Daily, July 16, 2004) As we look over the centuries-old history of China-Japan relations, we find that in Japan's relations with China, there has never been the notion of "associations based on equality"

China's Quest for Energy
(Editorial, Asahi Shimbun, June 24, 2004) Japan must listen to Beijing's call for joint development. There is mounting tension between Japan and China over Beijing's development of an offshore gas field in the East China Sea.

Japan-China Business Relations: Yasukuni and the Koizumi ‘Risk Factor' By Yoichi Funabashi (Asahi Simbun, May 18, 2004) Japanese businesspeople are getting increasingly impatient at Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's stubborn attitude over his Yasukuni visits.

US, Japan Establish Military Alliance
(People’s Daily, Apr. 13, 2004) March 31 is a memorable day for the United States and Japan as the two countries signed Treaty of Kanagawa 150 years ago on that day since which Japan opened its door to the outside world.

New Sino-Japanese Strain over Disputed Islands By J Sean Curtin
(Asia Times, Mar. 30, 2004) The dramatic arrest of seven Chinese activists on a disputed Japanese-held island claimed by China has severely strained Sino-Japanese relations.

Japan's Joyride On China's Coattails
(BusinessWeek, March 1, 2004) Not long ago, Japan Inc. was deeply troubled by the prospect of China's ascendance. Today, Japan's corporate and political elite are singing a different song.

Japan Wants China-Taiwan Status Quo By Jamie Miyazaki
(Asia Times, Feb. 20, 2004) Japan has been more concerned about Taiwan President Chen's pro-independence sentiments and actions that inflame Beijing, especially the referendum.

Major Shift in Japanese Defense Policy By Michael Richardson
(Straits Times, Dec. 29, 2003) AS 2003 ends, Japan is embarking on some far-reaching changes in its defence policy that will give it greater strategic flexibility and make it a stronger ally of the United States. The big question is how China and the rest of Asia will react.

A Firmer Japan in the Tussle with China By Eric Teo Chu Cheow
(Japan Times, Dec. 28, 2003) A triangular relationship is fast developing between Japan, China and ASEAN -- to the extent that the status of future ASEAN-Japan relations will become an increasing function of ASEAN-China and China-Japan ties as well.

'Two-China' Policy Pursued in '60s
(Japan Times, Dec. 25, 2003) Japan pursued a de facto "two-China" policy recognizing both China and Taiwan while officially maintaining a one-China policy, according to declassified diplomatic documents.

Japan's Defense Maverick By Kwan Weng Kin
(Straits Times, Dec. 24, 2003) Compared to the hawkish-looking US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba looks almost angelic, his personal feelings always kept under control.

Japan Postures to Play Catch-Up with China By Brad Glosserman
(Pacific Forum CSIS, Dec. 20, 2003) It's hard to get excited about last week's Japan-ASEAN summit. Japanese efforts are likely to be frustrated by the same political forces that have blocked previous initiatives.

Is Japan to Mainland Asia What Britain is to Europe? By Ramesh Thakur and Takashi Inoguchi (Japan Times, Nov. 9, 2003) Both Japan and Britain choose to identify themselves more strongly with their U.S. ally than with their continental neighbors. As Asia begins the search for greater regional economic integration, will Japan repeat the history of Britain vis-a-vis European integration?

Taiwan Could Stretch Sino-Japanese Ties to "Breaking Point": US
(Agence France Presse, Nov. 9, 2003) Taiwan is the main issue that could stretch China-Japan relations to "breaking point," the US State Department says in newly released documents.

China Must Shake Off the Past in Ties with Japan By Zhao Quansheng (Straits Times, Nov. 7, 2003) It is time for both Beijing and Tokyo to re-examine their foreign policies towards each other. One of the most important items for Beijing is priority-setting in its foreign policy directions.

Japan and China Battle for Russian Oil Supplies
(AFP, Oct 27, 2003) Energy-hungry Asian rivals China and Japan are locked in a fierce struggle for supplies of Russian crude, allowing Russia to bargain hard as it chooses where to build a pipeline from its Siberian oil fields.

High Hopes for Japan's New Rockets
(CNN.com, Sep. 20, 2003) Japan is planning to roll out a new generation of rockets as part of an ambitious program to revitalize its troubled space industry.

China-Japan Perception Gap By Brad Glosserman
(Japan Times, Sep. 10, 2003) Bitter past has not prevented the two countries from working out a functional and progressive relationship. Economics is a powerful driving force. It is unclear how long that can continue.

'History' Bedevils China-Japan Relations By Frank Ching
(Japan Times, Sep. 4, 2003) On the surface, relations between the two countries are better than ever. However, the relationship is beset by problems. Historical issues look set to continue to beset the relationship.

U.S.-Japan: One-Sided Bilateral Relations By Brad Glosserman
(Japan Times, Sep. 2, 2003) The conventional wisdom on the other side of the Pacific is that U.S.-Japan relations are the best they've ever been. The view is very different in Japan.

Analysis of Japan 2003 White Paper on Defense By Zhu Lizhen
(People’s Daily, Aug. 15, 2003) SDF will not change its name rashly. But seizing the opportunity of following the US unilateral hegemonic policy to seek some regional supremacy is actually the conspiracy behind the new edition of white paper

Pacifist Japan Beefs Up Military By Robert Marquand
(Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 15, 2003) The island nation's neighbors watch closely, but not all experts see reason for alarm. Japan is closely integrated into an Asian economy; and there is no "imperial drive" in Tokyo.

Relic of War Adds to Strain in Beijing Ties With Tokyo By Joseph Kahn
(New York Times, Aug. 12, 2003) China and Japan are supposed to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the normalization of their relations this week, but they are instead entangled in fresh tensions over their ugly past.

Nukes Still Won't Help Japan By Brad Glosserman
(Japan Times, Aug. 8, 2003) Japan's study of every security option is essential to a real national security debate. Like North Korea, Japan needs to know that possessing nuclear weapons won't enhance its security.

Japan: N. Korea Is Top Threat
(CNN.com, Aug. 6, 2003) Japanese defense report has named North Korea as the number one military threat to the country and called for an improved missile defense system to counter the danger.

Japan Courts a Public Wary of Sending Its Troops to Iraq By James Brooke (New York Times, July 28, 2003) Japanese government officials sought to sell a skeptical public on sending troops to an area where they could find themselves in combat for the first time since the end of World War II.

Japan Faces Burden: Its Own Defense By Howard W. French
(New York Times, July 22, 2003) No issue is likely to have a greater impact on the region than how Japan takes up the burden of its defense after a 20th-century past that traumatized it and its neighbors.

Is Japan Advancing Toward a 'Normal Country'? By Li Heng
(People’s Daily, July 3, 2003) Japan's political forces are trying to "democratize" their ideas and plans of defending the national interests by armed forces. It implies that the nation has deviated more from the "peace constitution" and great changes have taken place in its national direction.

Japan's Enhanced Role in Asian Security Seen Helping Taiwan
(Taiwan News, June 7, 2003) Taiwan can make use of a renewed strategic role to build closer and more cooperative relations with the strengthening United States-Japan security axis in the Western Pacific, said Presidential Secretary-General Chiou I-jen.

Japan's Military Can Benefit Asia Too
(Straits Times, June 4, 2003) Tokyo's Minister of State for Defence Shigerru Ishiba spoke about Japan's peacekeeping role at Saturday's Asia Security Conference. This is an edited excerpt.

Benefits of Closer Japan-U.S Ties
(Editorial, Japan Times, May 31, 2003) Following his support for military action in Iraq, Mr. Koizumi appears to be leaning further toward Japan's alliance with the U.S.

Awakening Japan's Sleeping Defense Giant By Alan Boyd
(Asia Times, May 28, 2003) Renewed indications that Japan may be ready to renounce half a century of pacifism and take responsibility for its own external security.

Japan's 'Peace Constitution' Threatened By Axel Berkofsky
(Asia Times, May 14, 2003) The House of Representatives Research Commission on the Constitution was established to revise the constitution to authorize the military to defend Japan's security at home and abroad.

China's Policy Has Backfired By Robyn Lim
(Japan Times, May 11, 2003) What would China prefer to see -- a Japan armed with nuclear weapons, or Japan's alliance with the United States strengthened by its participation in missile defense? In Beijing, neither option has much appeal.

China, Japan, and General Xiong By Marc Erikson
(Asia Times, May 10, 2003) Reasons for China to seek better relations with Japan in the security field are not that hard to come by. A key player on the Chinese side is the PLA’s deputy chief of staff (for intelligence) General Xiong Guangkai.

For Japan, Being America's Ally Is No Longer So Easy By Robyn Lim
(Japan Times, Apr. 30, 2003 Japan must appreciate that America now has much wider options than it did during the Cold War, and that China is bound to loom large in Washington's calculations.

Why Does Japan Choose to Remain Naked to the Threat of North Korean Missiles? By Robyn Lim
(Japan Times, Apr. 16, 2203) North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is openly threatening Japan with his Nodong missiles. Yet Japan chooses to remain naked to this threat.

Iraq War Shakes Japan's Asian Diplomacy
(Yomiuri Shimbun, Apr. 6, 2003) Considering the situation surrounding North Korea, it is urgent that Japan improve its relationship with China, which has been soured by Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine.

Japan Can Breathe Easy with Spies in the Sky By Joan Johnson-Freese and Lance Gatling
(Straits Times, Apr. 3, 2003) Officially called multi-purpose information gathering satellites (IGS), they will provide information for diplomatic and defence policy decision-making, and to support crisis management and disaster relief situations.

Japan Examines Self-Defence By Stephen Lunn
(The Australian, Mar. 25, 2003) Japan is under pressure from the US to change its laws to allow Tokyo to send troops to Iraq after the war to help with clean-up operations.

Japan Seeks Parasol In Shade Of US Umbrella
(London Times, Feb. 26, 2003) After 57 years under the protective umbrella of the United States, the time has come for Japan to develop an independent means of preventing missile attack.

Japan Wakes Up
(Editorial, Wall Street Journal, Feb. 20, 2003) While "old" Europe and new are duking it out over Iraq, on the other side of the globe pacifist Japan has been morphing quietly into a more assertive, regional power.

North Korea Nuclear Crisis: A New Menace Makes Japan Rethink By David Lague and Sebastian Moffet
(Far Eastern Economic Review, Feb. 27, 2003) The continuing crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme is forcing many in Japan to reconsider what actions it can take given the limitations of its purely defensive military posture.

Japan's Role in Solving Iraq Issue
(Editorial, Japan Times, Feb. 14, 2003) Public opinion in Japan is strongly opposed to a military solution. In the latest Kyodo News poll, 79 percent of Japanese said they oppose a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Pendulum Swings from Japan to China, For Now By Tom Plate
(Straits Times, Feb. 3, 2003) How wildly the pendulum swings whenever 'the experts' start talking about Japan versus China. Either one can do no wrong, or the other can do no right.

A Time to Fight? By Jim Frederick
(TIME, Jan. 27, 2003) For now, the world is still not dangerous enough for Japan to crank up its military machine. But that could change—and a nation's allergy toward combat could be cured overnight.

Japan Sees Bold Vision in Its Foreign Policy By David Pilling
(Financial Times, Jan. 21, 2003) In the 40 years since the signing of the US-Japan Security Treaty in 1960, Tokyo's foreign policy has been barely distinguishable from Washington's.

Japan Plods Path of Isolation By Brad Glosserman
(Japan Times, Jan. 16, 2003) Japan continues to be the odd man out in Northeast Asia. While the other states in the region have been forging ties and building networks with each other -- even North Korea -- Japan has lagged behind. Tokyo could be marginalized in its own neighborhood.

Japan Warned Taiwan Ahead of '72 Split
(Japan Times, Dec. 24, 2002) Fresh disclosure reveals euphemism softened blow of cutting relations. Kyodo News recently obtained a copy of the record of the talks.

China and Japan: A Façade of Friendship By Benjamin Self
(Washington Quarterly, Winter 2002-03) Continuing to rely on the friendship diplomacy framework is more likely to hurt the relationship between China and Japan. By easing the frustration of faking a friendship and focusing on more realistic common interests, sound ties would become possible. (PDF file)

Nuclear Japan: Oxymoron or Coming Soon? By Matake Kamiya
(Washington Quarterly, Winter 2002-03) Will Japan go nuclear? Kamiya argues that Japan is not willing, interested, or able to become a nuclear power. (PDF file)

China: Japan's Economic Wake-Up Call By Rebecca MacKinnon
(CNN.com, Nov. 21, 2002) Some fear China could one day eclipse Japan as an Asian economic powerhouse. But others see the rise of China as the kick-in-the-pants Japan needs to undertake the drastic reforms to make its economy healthy again.

US Turns Up Missile Defense Pressure on Japan By Axel Berkofsky
(Asia Times, Nov. 19, 2002) Japan's defense establishment does not apparently spend too much time worrying about the strategic implications of missile defense.

Japan and China Need New Framework
(Editorial, Japan Times, Sep. 30, 2002) In quantitative terms, bilateral relations have expanded by leaps and bounds since 1972. In qualitative terms, however, relations between the two neighbors remain at a low ebb.

Polls: China-Japan Relations Worsening
(Asahi Shimbun, Sep. 28, 2002) A majority of Japanese and Chinese feel relations between their nations are not good. Forty-one percent of Japanese respondents said bilateral relations are going well, while 45 percent gave a negative answer.

Strengthen Sino-Japanese Ties By Keizo Nabeshima
(Japan Times, Sep. 25, 2002) Japan and China will soon observe the 30th anniversary of their normalization of relations. Yet there are a number of uncertainties overshadowing Japan and China, such as differences in historical perceptions and political frictions over Taiwan.

Japan: For Leadership, Look Elsewhere By David Kruger
(Far Eastern Economic Review, Sep. 19, 2002) Political paralysis and economic stagnation have stripped Japan of its ability to serve as a world leader and to compete successfully with China.

Japan Likely to Cut Aid to China By John Pomfret
(Washington Post, Sep. 10, 2002) Japan will likely cut its aid to China significantly for the second consecutive year because the Japanese public is increasingly suspicious of China and Japan's government is concerned about China's military buildup.

China and Japan: Trouble Ahead? By Robert Sutter
(Washington Quarterly, August 2002) The past few years have seen China's influence and activism in East Asia grow while Japan's has relatively declined. Some see conflict ahead, but binding forces for positive China-Japan relations exist.

Setting Sun? Japan Anxiously Looks Ahead By Howard W. French
(New York Times, Aug. 11, 2002) Year in and year out since Japan's financial bubble burst in 1990, American presidents have needled and cajoled the country's leaders to fix their economy and restore Japan to its rightful place in the world.

Japan: Never Say Nuclear By David Kruger
(Far Eastern Economic Review, July 4, 2002) A politician's remarks are jumped on by an alarmist press and opposition leaders. But the country is not about to ditch its non-nuclear policies.

Nuclear Taboo Remains Strong By Brad Glosserman and Yumiko Nakagawa
(Japan Times, June 25, 2002) Recent comments by leading Japanese politicians have raised international concern about Tokyo's nuclear intentions. Those fears are misplaced: Japan's nuclear taboo remains as powerful as ever

Japan's Prospects Outshine China's By Duncan Wrigley and Devin T. Stewart
(International Herald Tribune, June 20, 2002) If Japan fails to reform, its economy will continue to stagnate. Yet, barring an economic collapse of Great Depression proportions, Japanese society will remain stable.

Japan Remains Very Abnormal By Gregory Clark
(Japan Times, June 15, 2002) Even in today's allegedly peace-loving Japan, few challenge the SDF's glorification of past military exploits and indoctrinatation of recruits.

Don't Sweat Three Warships By Alfred Balitzer
(Japan Times, May 23, 2002) So long as Japanese "self-defense" and U.S. defense are joined in common cause, there is little reason for alarm at the return of Japanese warships to the world's oceans.

Another Crisis Feeds Distrust By Frank Ching
(Japan Times, May 16, 2002) The Shenyang incident aggravates a relationship already under considerable strain. But a much harder task facing the two governments is how to cope with their own people and the risks posed by the rising antipathy that each has toward the other.

Conditions for SDF Mobilization
(Editorial, Japan Times, May 13, 2002) The Diet and the public are having a hard time deciding under what circumstances should the Self Defense Force be used. This indicates that even those who recognize the need for such legislation have doubts about the bills' content.

Japan 'Lacks Foreign Policy to Match China'
(Straits Times, May 10, 2002) Japan is sorely lacking in foreign policy and has lost its initiative to China in the Asia-Pacific region, a development that may make it a negligible nation in Asia, China-watchers here have warned.

Japan's Homeland Security: Police, or Self-Defense Forces? By Yuki Tatsumi
(International Security Program, CSIS, May 8, 2002) Debates surrounding Japan's security policy entered a new stage after the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States.

Japan: Defense Bills Only a First Step By Keizo Nabeshima
(Japan Times, April 22, 2002) Japan has moved a step closer to enacting emergency security legislation to deal with direct military attacks on the nation. Last Wednesday, the government introduced in the Diet a package of three bills for such emergencies.

Koizumi Trade Pitch Misses By David Wall
(Japan Times, April 21, 2002) Koizumi is not interested in free trade. What is driving him is a fear that Japan is losing its regional leadership role to China. He seems to think that regional free-trade agreements will ensure that Japan takes pole position.

Nuclear Temptation in Japan By Robyn Lim
(International Herald Tribune, April 15, 2002) A leading Japanese opposition politician, Ozawa Ichiro, said recently that Beijing's bullying could provoke Japan into producing thousands of nuclear warheads at short notice. Ozawa's comments are evidence of a growing nuclear attraction. This results from an increasing sense of insecurity.

China: Opportunity or Threat? By Hugh Cortazzi
(Japan Times, April 13, 2002) Chinese leaders have been urging the Japanese to see China as an opportunity, not a threat. Many Japanese companies are using parts made in Taiwan in their Chinese factories. This means that a peaceful solution to the Taiwan problem is very much in Japan's economic interests.

China-Japan Ties Lack Spontaneity By Kwan Weng Kin
(Straits Times, April 5, 2002) Partners or rivals? Even as China and Japan shift quietly into gear to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic ties this year, both countries are unsure just how their relationship is evolving.

Japan and the United States: the Essential Alliance By Yukio Okamoto
(Washington Quarterly, Spring 2002) Partly because of the bitter dissatisfaction that the U.S. displayed with "checkbook diplomacy" after the Gulf War, Japan has taken unprecedented steps in the war on terrorism. Still, Tokyo needs a legal framework that will make the measures permanent.

U.S. Stake in Japan's Revival By Keizo Nabeshima
(Japan Times, Feb. 25, 2002) The Japan-U.S. alliance is no longer based merely on military cooperation; it now hinges on Japan's economic clout in the Asia-Pacific region and the world. The new union inseparably links the Japanese economy to security.

Japanese Waver on Foreign Aid By Clay Chandler and Akiko Kashiwagi
(Washington Post, Feb. 1, 2002) Koizumi has lopped 10 percent off Japan's billion-dollar overseas development assistance budget, and officials at the major aid agencies are bracing for deeper reductions in years to come. China has borne the brunt of recent reductions.

Between Japan and China, an Irritant Named North Korea By Robyn Lim
(International Herald Tribune, Jan. 28, 2002) China knows that Japan's growing perception of a threat from North Korea is making it easier for the government of the nationalist prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, to acquire military capabilities that could also be used against China.

What is Normal for Japan? By Brad Glosserman
(Japan Times, Jan. 24, 2002) Becoming "normal" is an ambiguous term even within Japan. Tokyo must explain its ambitions and its goals. The core question is a simple one: How will Japan use its power? Coming up with an answer will not be simple, since the Japanese people themselves are not of one mind. But recent events dictate that the country tackle this issue head on.

Japan: Battered But Still on Top By David Kruger and Murray Hiebert
(Far Eastern Economic Review, Jan. 24, 2002) China is rising, but Japan's position as regional leader remains secure despite its economic problems and cuts in overseas aid and investment. Japan's real challenge lies at home. By getting its economy back on track, Japan could ensure its lead role in Asia for many years to come.

Koizumi Outlines Vision of Japan-ASEAN Future
(Kyodo News, Jan. 15, 2002) 'Community' sought via economic, security ties. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called for closer economic and security ties between Japan and Southeast Asian nations, creating what he hopes will ultimately evolve into a new community linking other parts of East Asia.

Japan's Rights and Wrongs in the 'Fishing Boat' Incident By Mark J. Valencia
(Japan Times, Jan. 10, 2002) Japan's violent pursuit of a suspected North Korean boat in the East China Sea has prompted both domestic and international controversy. Domestic opposition critics are questioning Japan's right to use force on the "high seas" and are using this incident to argue against expanding Japan's military activities.

Japan Must Take a Look at Article 9 By Yoshibumi Wakamiya
(Taipei Times, Jan. 7, 2002) Whether or not Japan maintains Article 9 as it is, the Japanese public must begin to argue seriously and thoroughly about the country's proper future defense policy. Formulating a basic law governing national security, a law that would define the role and limit the actions of the SDF, is a mechanism we should seriously consider.