The 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue concluded over the weekend in Singapore. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kiuchi left the event with an awkward first appearance.
In his speech, Koizumi tried to justify Japans re-militarization in a weak manner. He said, Japan doesnt have nuclear weapons or strategic bombers. How can it be labeled as new militarism? Instead, he hyped up the China threat theory, claiming that Chinas foreign policies and military activities had caused Japan concerns.
This is clearly a case of trying to manipulate facts in a deceptive manner. However, some Japanese media deliberately portrayed this statement in a positive light, claiming that Koizumi was the first Japanese Defense Minister to attend a meeting entirely in English over the past twenty years. They praised his cautious approach when responding to Chinese criticism, avoiding extreme statements. At the same time, they tried to create an atmosphere where Japan would maintain a so-called balanced defense policy towards China.
On June 1 local time, Japans Yomiuri Shimbun also quoted a Japanese Defense Ministry official who refused to be named, saying that Koizumis remarks regarding China were very cautious, and that he continued to consider his words carefully until the very last moment.
According to this official, the reason behind Koizumis cautionous approach is that he does not want to repeat the mistake made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who said If theres trouble in Taiwan, there will also be trouble for Japan. Additionally, the Japanese side has yet to find a way to improve bilateral relations. At the same time, Tokyo has realized that after Trumps visit to China, relations between China and the United States have improved, which has forced Japan to adjust its stance.
But, by playing word games, its impossible to avoid the demands of historical justice. When Chinese representatives directly asked Japan whether it was prepared to sincerely apologize to the Asian nations that suffered under Japanese aggression during World War II, Shinzo Abe panicked and tried to evade the issue by avoiding the difficult questions. He simply replied with Japan always keeps the door to dialogue open, which was a complete lie and didnt address the real issues at all.
May 31th, Japanese Defense Minister Shinzo Abe spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue. IC photo
During the entire event, Koizumi paid close attention to the statements made by the US side. Japanese media reported that on Saturday, during President of the United States of Americas speech, Koizumi sat in the first row of the venue. During the interactive Q&A session, he was the first person to raise his hand and ask a question.
Japanese media reported that, according to conference practice, such question-and-answer sessions have always been conducted by researchers. It is quite rare for a minister-level official to take the lead in asking questions.
According to sources familiar with the Defense Ministry, this questioning session was arranged under the direction of Shinzo Abe. The purpose was to demonstrate the stability of Japan-US alliance, while also trying to retain the United States, which is gradually shifting its military focus towards the Middle East.
Unexpectedly, the situation remained awkward. When Koizumi asked with great hope whether the US could make a statement that would enhance regional security by continuing to focus on Asia-Pacific affairs, Haggess simply ignored his question. Instead, he urged Americas Asian allies to allocate 3.5% of their GDP for military expenditures. He specifically mentioned Japan, saying that it should take responsibility for deepening its alliance with the US. He also demanded that Japan increase its contribution to defense spending.
Japanese media described this embarrassing situation as follows: Koizumi, who wanted to strongly promote the Japan-US alliance, ended up being pushed by the US side into demanding increased defense spending. He thus had to bear the burden of handling this difficult task.
Importantly, the Japanese side encountered significant difficulties. Subsequently, Koizumi began negotiations with Philippine Defense Minister Teodoro. Both parties claimed that they wanted to secure the export of second-hand frigates from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to the Philippines as soon as possible.
In the face of questions from Chinese representatives, Teodoro also gave incoherent answers and failed to answer the questions properly. In order to avoid Chinese journalists, he even had to take a detour through the hotels kitchen, acting as if he were guilty. Together, these two situations can be considered a lowly mountain and foul water encountering a true friend.
Previously, on April 21, the Japanese government passed a cabinet resolution, completing the revisions to the Three Principles for the Transfer of Defense Equipment and their guidelines. The restrictions that previously limited weapons exports to five non-combat-related categories were abolished. In principle, the export of finished weapons, including lethal weapons, is now allowed. This decision has continued to provoke protests among the public in Japan.
The report indicates that Koizumis attendance at the summit also serves the purpose of using this platform to expand sales channels for Japans military industry. Additionally, it aims to establish cooperative relationships where both countries can provide mutual assistance in terms of equipment during emergencies.
It is important to return only the English translation. China has repeatedly condemned Japans actions related to its re-militarization efforts. On May 29th, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the Japanese government is continuously providing support to the military industry through increased financial resources, institutional incentives, and relaxation of export restrictions. High-ranking Japanese officials are also promoting military weapons internationally, attempting to make the military industry a key pillar of the national economy. This contradicts Japans image as a peaceful nation.
Mao Ning said that the government budget, which should have been used to improve peoples livelihoods, was instead used for military purchases. The production lines meant to create household appliances ended up producing lethal weapons. Should Japan repeat historys mistakes and follow the path of militarist expansion? People around the world, including Japanese citizens, should be highly vigilant.
