Japan warns of increased threats to regional security in East Asia

Tokyo

THE "security environment surrounding Japan has become increasingly severe", the Japanese Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday in its latest defence White Paper, which cited what it said are potential threats from both China and Russia as well as North Korea.

The annual defence reviews have long cited North Korea as a threat and, more recently, problems with China have been stressed increasingly. But the mention of a Russian "threat" added to the sense of Japan facing dangers on multiple fronts.

The latest document appeared against the background of a recent public rally in which participants demanded that new national security laws - which allow Japan to engage in collective self-defence to help an ally under attack - be scrapped.

Protesters opposed to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recently introduced security legislation staged a rally near the National Diet in the run-up to the July 10 Upper House election, in which Mr Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) nevertheless scored strong gains.

The White Paper notes an increase in "grey-zone" situations involving Japan and neighbouring countries which, it suggested, appear to represent provocations rather than confrontations. "Various challenges and destabilising factors are becoming more tangible and acute," it said.

The document added that "there has also been a noticeable trend among (Japan's) neighbouring countries to intensify their military capabilities" as well as for the "threat of intentional terrorism" to increase.

China, it said, "particularly over maritime issues where its interests conflict with others, continues to act in an assertive manner, including attempts to change the status quo by coercion". China is "poised to fulfil its unilateral demands without compromise".

What the White Paper described as "dangerous actions" by China could result in "unintended consequences", asserted the White Paper, which was scheduled to be approved by Mr Abe's Cabinet on Tuesday.

"This year, a Chinese naval frigate entered Japan's contiguous zone near the Senkaku Islands (in the East China Sea)" while other Chinese vessels have sailed in Japan's territorial waters". China has "intensified activities" near the islands with military aircraft approaching them.

Meanwhile, "the number of scrambles by the Japanese Air Self-Defence Forces (ASDF) against Chinese aircraft has increased dramatically", said the White Paper, while noting that this happened 571 times in fiscal 2015 out of a total of 873 scrambles in that year.

"China is currently carrying out reforms in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) which some see are being the largest in the country's history," said the document, adding that such reforms have recently "taken shape at a rapid pace".

China has "pressed ahead with rapid and large-scale land reclamation works on seven features in the (South China Sea) Spratly Islands. It has also developed structures, runways and harbours (there) as well as carried out similar activities in the Paracel Islands", said the White Paper.

On Russia, it said that "Russia's military intervention in Syria is drawing attention as a manifestation of the achievement of Russia's series of military reforms as well as a move to increase its international influence". The "threat perception" of Russia is also growing in Europe, it noted.

North Korea, meanwhile, "has continued provocative military actions such as conducting its fourth nuclear test in January and launching ballistic missile tests from February onwards", the White Paper charged.

"Considering technological maturity through North Korea's past four nuclear tests, it could be possible that (the country) has achieved the miniaturisation of nuclear weapons and has developed nuclear warheads".

North Korea had also advanced "overall development of ballistic missiles", it added.