First Russia, then China?
Japan senses threat in East Asia
03/27/2022, 08:20 am
After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Japan fears unilateral changes to the current order – speaking of China and its ambitions to gain influence over Japanese-controlled territory. Prime Minister Kishida sees the potentially “biggest crisis” since the end of the Second World War.
Japan fears that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine will also have an impact on its own country. Depending on further developments, Japan will face “the greatest crisis” since World War II, said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a closing ceremony of the National Defense Academy, according to the Jiji Press news agency. Such a violent, unilateral change in the status quo “should not be allowed in East Asia,” Japan’s head of government was quoted as saying, referring to China’s growing thirst for power. “The decisions and actions of the international community, including Japan, determine the future trend of the international community”.
Japan and the United States have long been concerned about China’s growing power drive in the Indo-Pacific region. For example, Tokyo is concerned about repeated incursions by Chinese ships into waters around the Senkaku Islands, a Japanese-controlled archipelago in the East China Sea that is also claimed by China and Taiwan. Japan is a key US ally in the region and relies on Washington’s nuclear shield.
It’s not the only threat the country is currently feeling. Regarding North Korea’s latest test of a suspected long-range missile, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said on Friday: “It’s a serious threat with a different dimension than before.” The day before, North Korea had undertaken what may be the largest test ever of a long-range missile, challenging the United States and its East Asian allies. The test poses a serious threat to the peace and stability of Japan and the international community, Kishi said.
According to the South Korean military, the North Korean missile had climbed to an altitude of up to 6,200 kilometers before it crashed into the Sea of Japan (Korean: East Sea) 1,080 kilometers from the launch point.