Japanese Military Power 2012
July, 2013
Report on Japanese Military Power 2012
China Strategic Culture Promotion Association
VIII. Military and Security Exchanges
Japan's military and security exchanges with foreign countries in 2012 followed the following two lines: to expand regional and multilateral security networks, and to push for arms exports and international cooperation in joint R&D of weaponry and equipment as "Three Principles on Arms Exports" is easing. These two lines of development reveal Japan's intention to speed up its efforts to be self-reliant, to expand its strategic space and exert international influence, and to counter-balance China. And it follows naturally that Japan tries to contain the rise of China with increased military and security options.
A. Expanding regional and multilateral security networks
Japan maintains that after the financial crisis, it is difficult to rely solely on itself or Japan-U.S. alliance for security. With the U.S. decline and complication of world security situation, the tendency of diversification of security approaches has been self-evident. To set up a security network will not only help reinforce Japan's ability in tackling security issues, but also expand its diplomatic space and increase its strategic options. Japan seeks to become a shaper of new regional security order also because it tries to elevate its status in the international community and increase its international clout. Japan is now promoting the establishment of a cooperative regional security network with either the U.S. or Japan-U.S. alliance (the so-called "Japan plus X" or "Japan-U.S. plus X" pattern) as its center, linking Australia, the ROK, India and relevant countries in Southeast Asia. Such a network is sometimes titled "democratic alliance" or "the arch of freedom and prosperity", but it is essentially a maritime alliance. It has undeniably an element of hedging against or containing China.
In 2012, apart from building the network mentioned above, Japan has made other significant achievements in this regard.
First, Japan is proactively promoting the so-called "coalition of democracies" by enhancing defense cooperation with the ROK and Australia. The basic line of thought for Japan is to make use of the Japan-U.S. coalition framework to enhance security cooperation with the ROK and Australia. Japan and Australia reached the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) in 2010; and in 2012, the two countries also signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA). The ministerial-level defense talks between Japan and Australia in September 2012 laid out guidelines for bilateral defense cooperation centering upon defense equipment and technology. The deepening of security cooperation between Japan and the ROK is also worthy of note. With the conservative Lee Myung-bak in power, and with the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula since 2010, Japan intended to make Japan-ROK defense cooperation the key to its regional security strategy. Beginning in 2010, Japan started negotiations with the ROK on reaching both ACSA and GSOMIA. The two countries all but reached the objective in May 2012, when ROK gave up in the last minute.
Second, Japan is proactively promoting defense cooperation with India. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visited India in December 2012, and the two countries signed a joint statement entitled "Vision for the Enhancement of Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership". In the statement, the two countries agreed to greater maritime security cooperation. In line with the statement, Japan and India conducted their first ever joint maritime exercise in June, 2012.
Third, Japan is seeking to enhance security cooperation and partnership with Southeast-Asian countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam. As friction arose since 2010 between the Philippines and Vietnam and China in the South China Sea, Japan saw opportunities to engage in regional security affairs for greater political influence. When Mr. Noda became Prime Minister in September 2011, Japan has significantly enhanced security cooperation with both the Philippines and Vietnam, and had signed joint statements concerning maritime security cooperation with both countries. Since 2012, Japan has decided to provide both countries with patrol ships and help improve their coast guard capabilities with Official Development Assistance (ODA). Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited Japan in April, 2012; and in July of the same year Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba visited India. In both visits, the two countries highlighted their intention to enhance maritime security cooperation. In addition, three training vehicles of the JMSDF arrived in the Philippines for a five-day goodwill visit in May, 2012, when China and the Philippines were having dispute over the Huangyan Island. In August, 2012, Shikishima (PLH), the largest patrol vessel from Japan Coast Guard participated separately in maritime drills with the Philippines and Vietnam. In January 2013, Mr. Shinzo Abe visited Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida conducted parallel visits to the Philippines, Singapore, and Brunei. During all these visits, both Mr. Abe and Mr. Kishida emphasized maritime security cooperation.
Apart from multinational exercises, Japan was also actively engaged in regional multilateral security consultations and dialogues in 2012. It tried to increase its influence in regional security affairs by laying out topics, setting agenda, and dominating the discourse. On internal forums such as the ARF, EAS, ADMM+ and ASD (a track-II dialogue), Japan sided with the U.S. and relevant ASEAN members on such issues as maritime security and China's defense buildup.
B. Trend of development after the revision of "Three Principles on Arms Exports"
In December, 2011, the Noda administration agreed to relax significantly the ban on arms exports, based on "Three Principles on Arms Exports", allowing Japan to participate in international joint development and production of defense equipment and to provide equipment to humanitarian operations. According to various analyses at the time, the revision was intended not only to tackle domestic industrial and economic problems, but also to promote and extend defense cooperation between Japan and Southeast-Asian countries, European countries, Australia, and India. What followed proved that such analyses were right. The world is concerned with what Japan would do in terms of arms exports after the revision.
In 2012, Japan made substantial progress in arms exports and international joint R&D. As mentioned earlier in the report, Japan provided defense equipment including patrol ships to the Philippines and Vietnam with ODA. It was reported by TBS in May, 2012 that Japan would provide patrol ships to the Philippines and Vietnam as part of strategic ODA. The Japanese authorities confirmed in July, 2012 that Japan would provide 12 advanced patrol ships to Philippine Coast Guard in order to improve its maritime capabilities. Relevant consultations between the two countries have already begun. Also, on April 10th, 2012, Prime Minister Noda and his British counterpart Mr. Cameron reached an agreement on joint R&D of weapons equipment, the first such agreement since Japan significantly eased the "Three Principles on Arms Exports". In line with this new development, in September, 2012, the ministerial-level defense talks between Japan and Australia laid out the guidelines for joint weapons R&D between the two countries. After that, "Japanese Economic News" reported on February 18th, 2013 that Japanese Ministry of Defense was considering transferring submarine technology to Australia. In addition, it was reported by Kyodo News Service on July 7th, 2012 that Japan had begun negotiating with France on joint R&D of weapons equipment, hoping to cooperate with France which has already possessed cutting-edge technology for high-performance fighters. Again, according to Yomiuri Shimbun report on March 25th, 2013, the Japanese government expressed on the previous day its intention to export US-2 rescue hydroplanes to India, and the two countries were now engaged in negotiations on the export.
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