Shift in Japan's military policy raises concern

Although many of Japan's recent military initiatives have been framed as keeping pace with developments in defense equipment and technology, they, in fact, reveal a growing offensive orientation in the country's security strategy, which points to a significant shift in Japan's defense policy that could undermine regional peace and stability, experts said.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside Japan's National Diet Building on Tuesday evening to protest against the government's efforts to weaken the country's pacifist constitution through constitutional revision and military expansion policies.

Japanese media reported on Monday that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party had drafted proposals to revise the country's three key national security documents.

The proposals reportedly call for strengthening Japan's air defense systems and sustained combat capabilities, as well as accelerating the deployment of submarines equipped with advanced propulsion systems and capable of carrying long-range missiles to enhance Japan's so-called "counterstrike capabilities".

On April 21, the Japanese government officially revised the "Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology" and related implementation guidelines to allow the export of weapons, including those with lethal capabilities, despite waves of large-scale protests, local media reported.

The revision scraps rules that limit Japan's military equipment exports to five noncombat categories, namely rescue, transport, warning, surveillance, and minesweeping.

Instead, military equipment will be divided into "weapons" and "non-weapons" categories, based on whether they have lethal or destructive capabilities, Kyodo News reported.

The revision maintains unrestricted exports of non-weapon equipment, such as warning and control radar systems, while also permitting the export of previously banned weapons, including destroyers and missiles, to countries that have signed agreements with Japan on the protection of classified defense equipment and technological information.

Under the revision, export of weapons will not require prior parliamentary approval. Instead, the National Security Council will make the decisions, with the Diet informed only after approval.

Consequently, a poll released by Kyodo News on Sunday showed that 57.2 percent of respondents opposed allowing exports of lethal weapons, while 37.1 percent supported the move.

In a similar poll conducted by NHK on May 11, 32 percent of the respondents said they were in favor of the move, 53 percent said they were against it, and 15 percent said they were undecided or gave no response.

"These measures are seen as concrete manifestations of the Japanese government's ongoing efforts to accelerate the country's remilitarization process," said Liu Shuliang, an associate researcher at the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences.

Major step

Japan is actively advancing the development of unmanned systems and automated military infrastructure. From a technical perspective, these efforts are in line with trends in modern warfare and are intended to enhance precision-strike and long-range combat capabilities. Strategically, however, they represent another major step in Japan's accelerated "remilitarization", he said.

"This has long since gone beyond the self-imposed constraints of its pacifist constitution and the framework of an 'exclusively defense-oriented policy'," Liu said.

In essence, they reflect an attempt to use technological innovation as a vehicle to accelerate the expansion of offensive military capabilities, marking a serious departure from Japan's self-proclaimed identity as a "peace-loving nation" and the defense principles it has long emphasized, he added.

Chen Hong, director of the Asia-Pacific Studies Centre at East China Normal University in Shanghai, said the Japanese government's decision to press ahead with its "remilitarization" process despite significant domestic controversy reflects a fundamental shift in the country's security strategy.

Previous poll results have shown that a majority of the Japanese public supports a pacifist approach. However, despite public opposition, the Japanese government appears determined to continue expanding its military capabilities, a move that could push Japanese society further toward the dangers of war and conflict, he said.

Experts noted that Japan continues to actively foster "exclusive cliques" and promote bloc confrontation in the region, with arms exports serving as a key instrument in this process.

"The country is trying to make the development of unmanned combat systems a key new pillar in strengthening defense cooperation with countries such as Australia and the Philippines," Chen said.

Japan aims to deepen coordination with these partners, gain greater influence in regional security cooperation, and enhance its own operational capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region, he added.

"This move could have significant implications for the security landscape in the region," Liu said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.