Japan's Defense White Paper: 'Situation Like Ukraine Invasion Could Happen in East Asia'

The Japanese government has published its first defense white paper since the launch of the Sanae Takaichi cabinet, laying bare strong a sense of crisis and vigilance toward the deepening alignment among North Korea, China, and Russia.

Diagnosing that East Asia's security environment is facing its greatest test since the end of World War II, Japan emphasized strengthening deterrence through solidarity with allied nations.

At the same time, however, it continued its persistent, ungrounded claims to sovereignty over Dokdo for the 22nd consecutive year.

In this white paper, Japan spotlighted the growing military cooperation among North Korea, China, and Russia, assessing that "the international society has entered a new era of crisis as it faces the greatest trials since the postwar period."

In particular, it expressed strong concern over deteriorating conditions, stating that "a serious situation akin to the invasion of Ukraine could occur in East Asia."

The front section of the white paper featured photos of the summit meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as a large-scale military parade featuring Chinese President Xi Jinping, warning against the expansion of military influence by nations that do not share democratic values and systems.

Regarding China's military trends, the white paper defined them as the "greatest strategic challenge ever seen," following last year's assessment, and cited military pressure on Taiwan and intensified maritime activities around the Senkaku Islands as threats.

As for North Korea, it described the country as posing a "more grave and imminent threat to Japan's security than ever before," raising risks that North Korea's military capabilities could be reinforced in the mid-to-long term through military cooperation with Russia, such as troop deployments to Ukraine.

Analyzing these threats and the patterns of the war in Ukraine, Japan established a new chapter titled "Trends Surrounding New Combat Methods" and heavily incorporated preparations for modern warfare.

It stated that it will seek ways to utilize artificial intelligence for rapid decision-making, deploy unmanned military equipment such as drones, and apply quantum and semiconductor technologies to security.

It also emphasized securing long-term operational endurance through dual-use technologies, responding to cyberattacks, and strengthening readiness in the space and electronic warfare sectors.

Underlining these enhancements in response capabilities, the Takaichi cabinet plans to revise the three major security documents, including the National Security Strategy, within the year. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi emphasized building a network with allies and partner nations to elevate deterrence.

However, even as it mentioned the need for South Korea-Japan cooperation amid the severe East Asia security environment, Japan maintained its long-standing territorial claims over Dokdo.

Describing South Korea as "an important neighboring country to cooperate with as a partner in addressing various challenges of the international society," following last year, and citing examples of cooperation such as "shuttle defense diplomacy" between the defense ministers of South Korea and Japan, the section concerning South Korea was reduced to just over one page, omitting mentions related to GSOMIA.

Furthermore, apart from references to security cooperation, maps within the defense white paper labeled Dokdo as a "territorial issue concerning Takeshima" and depicted it within Japan's territorial waters and air defense identification zone, continuing its repetitive territorial claims over Dokdo for the 22nd consecutive year since 2005.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.