Japan wants to revise its security strategy next year, "Capability to Attack the Enemy," as a key issue

According to a report published in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on November 9 entitled "The Japanese Government Will Revise its Security Strategy Next Year", the full text is excerpted as follows:

The Japanese government will initiate consultations with the ruling party on the revision of the National Security Strategy this month, which is equivalent to Japan's basic policy in the field of foreign affairs and defense, and will study whether to specify whether Japan should have a "capability to attack enemy bases" and content related to economic security to attack enemy missile launch bases. Considering that Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio intends to visit the United States as soon as possible, the consultations will also focus on strengthening the Japan-US alliance.

The National Security Strategy, developed in 2013, is scheduled to be revised within 2022. The defence outline and the Medium-term Defence Preparedness Plan, which determines the progress of defence expenditures, will also be revised at the same time.

The Japanese prime minister held a press conference on the 1st of this month, saying that he would have a full discussion at the national security meeting, and the ability to attack enemy bases was also one of the options.

At the same time as the National Security Council discusses, the government will also promote coordination with the Liberal Democratic Party and the Gongming Party. There are differences between the two parties over the highly concerned issue of having the ability to attack enemy bases. The extent to which the content falls on paper will depend on coordination within the ruling party.

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) stated in its house of representatives election platform that it would formulate a new security strategy as soon as possible. In the content related to missile defense, it is proposed to "promote new actions to enhance deterrence, including the ability to prevent missile launches in the territory of the other side".

The subject of the discussion will be the responsibility of the Safety and Security Investigation Committee. The LDP suggested to the government in August 2020 that it was necessary to master the capabilities to block ballistic missiles in the other side's territory. In order to avoid the misunderstanding of the pre-emptive strike, the expression of the ability to attack enemy bases was not used at that time, mainly to accommodate the sentiments of the Komeito Party.

Japan's then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had planned to define new missile defense guidelines within 2020, but discussions have been shelved since his abrupt resignation in September.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, a representative of the Komeito Party, said in a Program of the Japan Broadcasting Association on October 19 that such discussions on the ability to attack enemy bases were outdated.

On the other hand, the Komeito Party talked about the importance of studying economic security, and also proposed in the election program of the House of Representatives to "promote economic diplomacy, including economic security." Given the high potential for civilian technology to be diverted to military use in other countries, the KOMI pointed to the need for an intensified response.

Coordination between the Liberal Democrats and the Komeito party reached an impasse when the security-related bill was passed in 2015. The Government and the Liberal Democratic Party advocated a long-term law so that SDF forces could be dispatched overseas at any time, while the Komeito Party called for a special measures law for each dispatch.

The Japanese government, in consultation with the ruling party, also needs to obtain approval in the Diet.

With the Senate elections approaching in the summer of 2022, neither the Japanese government nor the Liberal Democratic Party wants a rift in relations with the Komeito Party at this time. The integration of security strategies is likely to wait until the end of the Senate election. It may also listen to the opinions of people of insight from all sides and advance cautiously.

An important background for the rush to start discussions is Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's visit to the United States. On the 2nd, Kishida had a brief conversation with US President Biden in Glasgow, England, during which he agreed on an early visit to the United States, which is likely to be within this year.

A joint statement issued during former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's visit to the United States in April also confirmed That "Japan is determined to strengthen its defense capabilities." At the next Japan-U.S. summit, the Prime Minister is expected to directly inform the U.S. side of Japan's revised security strategy as a concrete measure to demonstrate "Japan's determination."

While adhering to the basic division of labor based on the "Japan-US Security Treaty" and Japan as the "shield" and the United States as the "spear," we have deepened cooperation through the Japan-US joint training. The revision of the security strategy will be a touchstone on how to make greater use of Japan's role.

Source: Reference News Network