Why Japan thinks China is its biggest strategic challenge

Highlighting China's rapid acceleration of military activity in the areas from around its southwestern coasts to the Pacific, Japan called China the biggest strategic challenge for the country.

 

In its annual defence report, the Japanese defence ministry pointed out that China is stepping up military activities throughout areas surrounding Japan, including the East China Sea around the Senkaku Islands, the Sea of ​​Japan and the western Pacific Ocean, beyond the so-called first-island chain and extending to the second-island chain.

 

Chinese warships' advance into the Pacific has steadily increased, with the frequency of their passage off southwestern Japan tripling in the past three years, including in waters between Taiwan and its neighbouring Japanese island of Yonaguni. The report said China's active military activities have the potential to seriously affect Japan's security, and this is of grave concern.

 

Further, the report said the competition between the United States and China is likely to intensify.

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"The international society is in a new crisis era as it faces the biggest challenges since the end of World War II," the report said, citing significant changes to the global power balance while raising concern about an escalation of the China-US rivalry.

 

“The issues ... are particularly pronounced in the Indo-Pacific region, where Japan is located, and are likely to become even more serious in the future,” the report stated, according to The Japan Times.

 

The report said, "US actions will significantly impact the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region, where Japan is located, and will require continued attention.”

 

According to the report, China's growing joint operations with Russia also pose serious security concerns to Japan, along with increasing tension around Taiwan and threats coming from North Korea.

Defence