The scandal-ridden Abe still does not forget to make things happen on the issue of China's Diaoyu Islands.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, as the guidelines for the Japanese government's marine policy for 2018-2022, the new plan will change the policy focusing on the development of marine resources and actively introduce policies related to safety and security. One of the purposes of the change is to increase the power of the Coast Guard's patrol vessels and aircraft, and to "urgently expand" the security mechanism around the Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands frequently by Chinese official ships.
Provisions for the launch of ballistic missiles are proposed
After the draft of the next five-year marine basic plan was released, Japan's ambitions were exposed.
The Ocean Basic Plan outlines the Ocean Policy, which was developed with the efforts of the Japanese government, and is revised every five years by the Integrated Ocean Policy Headquarters, which is headed by Abe.
It is worth vigilance that in the draft plan, the "intrusion" of foreign official ships into Japan's territorial waters, the illegal operation and navigation of foreign fishing vessels, and the transportation of weapons of mass destruction and missile-related materials are all regarded as "unprecedented threats to maritime rights and interests."
For the first time, such things as improving response to illegal fishing vessels were included in the plan, which shows that Japan's maritime policy will make security a priority. The plan will be adopted by the Cabinet in late April.
Why did the draft Ocean Basic Plan make such a change? Japan has made no secret of reporting that the draft ocean basic plan exemplifies changes in the marine environment around Japan, including the expansion of the range of Chinese warships, which have made the environment in the waters around Japan more severe.
How to deal with it? The draft notes that, due to the limited range of surveillance by ships and aircraft of the Self-Defense Forces and the Coast Guard, advanced optical satellites and radar satellites will be introduced to achieve the effect of wide-area surveillance of the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan. Japan will also increase information sharing with the U.S. military, which has a large number of space satellites.
The Governor of Chang'an Avenue App notes that from the details of the current report, the new marine policy plans to add at least the following provisions:
The plan adds provisions on ballistic missile launches, emphasizing that Japan will strengthen its ability to collect and transmit intelligence against ships sailing and operating offshore Japan.
Second, with regard to the so-called continuous entry of Chinese official ships into the waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands, the plan says that "the Coast Guard Department should be used as the center to urgently establish a maritime security system."
Third, the plan also emphasizes that Japan should strengthen marine surveys, research and development, and the preservation of outlying islands.
Through these details, it is not difficult to see that Japan's intention to contain China's maritime influence has become more obvious.
What can Japan's aircraft carrier build change?
At the end of last month, Japan also tried to encroach on China's Diaoyu Islands on another matter.
On March 30, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced the revised "Study Guidelines" for high schools, requiring the inclusion of the Diaoyu Islands as Japan's "inherent territory" and the absence of territorial disputes in high school education.
In response to a reporter's question on this issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that the Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands have been China's inherent territory since ancient times, and China resolutely defends its territorial sovereignty, and any words and deeds that attempt to encroach on China's sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands are futile. The Chinese side has lodged solemn representations with the Japanese side in this regard. We demand that the Japanese side earnestly face history and reality, educate the younger generation with a correct view of history, and stop creating incidents on relevant issues.
In the eyes of Russian experts, there are new examples of "Japan's futility".
Will Japan build an aircraft carrier? Russian political scientist Dmitry Verkhov recently pointed out that according to sporadic reports, it can be concluded: first, by deploying F-35B fighter jets on the existing Izumo-class helicopter carrier, it will be converted into an aircraft carrier; second, it will develop Japan's own multi-functional aircraft carrier.
In February 2018, a senior japanese maritime self-defense force official pointed out in an article published in the Asahi Shimbun that the structure of the Izumo-class helicopter carrier does not rule out the possibility of being converted into an aircraft carrier. Also in February, there were media reports that Tokyo planned to purchase at least 20 more fighter jets in addition to the 42 fighters previously ordered. In Japan's fiscal 2018 government budget, defense spending reached a record $45.7 billion. According to the Japan Times, F-35B fighter jets may be deployed on Japan's westernmost island, Yonaguni Island, which is only 150 kilometers away from the Diaoyu Islands.
Russian media said that China has obvious air superiority in the Diaoyu Islands. The Chinese navy has the Liaoning aircraft carrier, which carries J-15 fighter jets, while China's second aircraft carrier is under construction, which can carry 40 fighters and helicopters. In addition, Chinese military aircraft can take off from airports located in the east to the Diaoyu Islands.
Given that Japan's land airfields are located quite far away, Japan can only count on the fighters that the aircraft carrier can accommodate. On two Izumo-class helicopter carriers, each can deploy up to 10 to 12 aircraft; On the two Hyuga-class helicopter carriers, each can deploy up to 4 aircraft, which allows up to 32 aircraft to be deployed, and 6 to 8 F-35B fighter jets can be deployed at various small island airfields. Compared with the strength of the Chinese Air Force, even the additional procurement of F-35B fighter jets will not ensure Japan's numerical superiority.
However, if Japan builds a real aircraft carrier with a displacement of about 60,000 to 70,000 tons and can carry 50 to 60 aircraft, Japan will be able to improve the balance of power against Japan in the airspace around China's Diaoyu Islands. From this point of view, China's attempts against Japan had to be defended.
China and Japan intend to restart high-level economic dialogue
While China's Diaoyu Islands are doing things, Japan is trying to ease Sino-Japanese relations.
On April 1, Japan's Kyodo News Agency, citing a number of Chinese and Japanese diplomatic sources, revealed that the two governments had coordinated the ministerial "high-level economic dialogue" that resumed discussions on economic issues such as trade and investment in April. According to the report, if the dialogue can be restarted, it will be a dialogue that has been in Beijing for seven and a half years since August 2010. Given that 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the two sides will deepen their strategic and mutually beneficial relations.
Knowing that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Japan has frequently made overtures to China. The intention is also very clear, Japanese media reported that the Japanese side intends to take the basic decision to hold the china-Japan-ROK trilateral leaders' talks in May as an opportunity to realize the exchange of visits between the heads of state of China and Japan as soon as possible, so as to promote bilateral relations. At the same time, China intends to urge Japan to actively respond to China's Belt and Road Initiative under the principle of improving relations with Japan.
Kyodo News Agency speculated that in the high-level economic dialogue between China and Japan, the Japanese side will reach a consensus on the diplomatic policy proposed by Abe and the "Belt and Road" initiative through mutual cooperation. The two sides intend to reach an agreement on cooperation to improve infrastructure construction in Asia. Given the U.S. Trump administration's import restrictions on steel and aluminum products, it is also possible for China and Japan to exchange views on the importance of free trade.
Looking at the list made by the Japanese side to ease Sino-Japanese relations, coupled with the fact that the two countries are currently in the fire circle of Trump's trade war, with the key node of the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese peace and friendship treaty, the relations between the two countries are expected to be as Japan wishes, but if Japan frequently makes small moves on China's Diaoyu Islands, even if it is a good wish, it is Also Japan's wishful thinking.
For more exciting content, welcome to pay attention to the Governor app of Chang'an Avenue