
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.
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