Japan is stepping up its defence in a move the nation’s defence minister says is essential to stop another war.
Shinjiro Koizumi told the BBC that Japan must improve its security forces and revisit the pacifist stance that has held the country since World War Two. He said a new policy will let Tokyo sell lethal weapons to 17 partner states such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia and New Zealand.
His remarks followed Japan’s latest defence white paper that names China’s expanding navy and missile activity and North Korea’s ongoing tests as the greatest strategic challenge.
The government plans to raise defence spending to 2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, double its long‑term target. It will channel that money into new surface‑to‑ship missiles, unmanned aerial and underwater drones, and modern naval vessels. Analysts say Japan’s shipbuilding and electronics firms could become a new global defence power.
Some observers argue that re‑authorising the Self‑Defence Forces and expanding armed exports could stray from Japan’s pacifist constitution. Others maintain that the proposals are driven by a need to keep up with regional threats, especially China’s claims over the Senkaku islands and Taiwan.
Koizumi said the nation’s ultimate decision – whether to amend the constitution – will be made by the people through a referendum. He added that Japan must be ready to defend itself, while keeping the country’s unique global security role firmly grounded in cooperation with the United States and other allies.
