The road that Abe and his rightist ministers is taking is leading to an intractable position and war with China over the Diaoyu Islands is inevitable. The logic and slant taken by Abe's group is that of Imperial Japan when might is right.
The accusation that only in 1971 that China made a claim on Diaoyu was proof that China did not own the island is a white lie. China was weak, had too many issues to deal with domestically, that should it try to make any claims before, it could lead probably to another military defeat by Japan or a lot of embarrassment as it could not do anything about its claims with a military more powerful Japan and a hostile US.
The Diaoyu was taken by force, as war loot signed away by the 1895 Unequal Treaty. And Abe is claiming that this was legitimate. In a way, yes it is treaty, an agreement. In order for China to take back Diaoyu, if Japan refuses to return it peacefully, will be to take it back by force with another treaty with Japan to over ride this treaty. Is that what Japan wants?
China is no longer a pushover though Japan may think it could repeat its aggressive invasion of China once again. Let's see if Japan is up to it and if China can turn the table around and invade Japan to return the favour.
Many on the side of Japan are refusing to see the historical records of Diaoyu and claimed that Japan has some grounds to claim it. The only legitimate ground is the Treaty of Shimonseki which if Japan is insisting on it, will be to abolish this treaty by the same means, war.
Abe and his hawkish ministers are taking Japan back to militarism. The pretension that it is difficult to change the pacifist constitution is simply bullshit. Many Japanese are waiting to relive their glorious Imperial Japan days. Put it to the Diet and a 2/3 majority to change the constitution is just a formality. The Japanese psychic of domination and superiority and militarism has never changed. It is reviving with greater gusto and arrogance.
The lie that Japan did not have a military force but a Self Defence Force is only unnoticeable to the blind. Japan is already a big military force and can engage in wars of aggression. Its 5 trillion yen annual budget for defence is no small feat.
And what is wrong with China expanding its military expenditure and the deceit of claiming that China has expanded it by 30 folds? China's military expenditure came from a very small base. China should be spending similar amount in defence as the US for a country of that size and for its own defence from its bad experience of being invaded when it was militarily weak.
The right of self defence is the right of every nation. China's defence expenditure is defensive in nature as against the US that is for world domination and hegemony.
Abe will lead Japan to a war with China if he is allowed to continue in this path.
32 comments:
Japan with the helps and collusions of Asean and other Asian Nations should stands a good chance of defeating China in war. And if it is able to regain its heydays liked WWII, it can take China and everything Chinese to rule.
Are the Asian Nations and Asean ready to give Japan a hand ?
Today, when all the other Asian countries are fully independent and armed, the Japanese would have trouble taking on the Koreans. Unless the stupid South Koreans choose to fight with Japan against the other Koreans.
Japan can have all the Asean countries on its side it will not ruffle the feather of the new China. China is willing to take on the Americans today where its core interests are affected.
Relac lah.
All the Chinese have to do is practice one of their ancient virtues: Patience.
Abe is full of bombast and hubris. He is on a roll. Maximum public support, the mood is bouyant. And he needs it. For Abe and his lock-step Nippanese central bankers have driven up debt levels of this once thrifty and financially conservative culture. By monetizing the huge debt, they've also DOUBLED the supply of all Yen in existence.
Japan has massive debt. China has massive CASH.
No need for expensive war. China just have to wait until Saga Abenomics plays itself out and Japan is FUBB (Fucked Up Beyond Belief). The all China (cash rich) has to do is "negotiate" and buy back the islands from indebted and cash-strapped Japan at a DEEP discount. Several orders of magnitude CHEAPER than war.
Japan also cannot afford war. Sure it has a healthy military budget and is well armed, but to engage in prolonged military conflict requires EXTRA FUNDING. They have no dough. They'll have to BORROW more. I can't see it happening.
For Japan, it is already on the path to "game over". It's only a matter of time.
US will help Japan ant its Asian and Asean supporters with weapons of mass destruction.
No need for money lah.
@155:
>> US will help
Maybe, but I don't think so. Even if he did , it would be "small time"; a couple of ships, a few planes, some drones -- Obama's cut the defence budget savagely. And he's running a 1 trillion $$ deficit. Iraq and Afghanistan already cost them $4-6 trillion, and it goes on still.
After the inter-generational mess in the last US-Asia entanglement, it is doubtful if the the tax paying American public will support another bout of US adventurisim in Asia.
If there is large scale war between China and Japan and Company, it will result in Japan and China so badly that it will take both Countries decades to recover. Whilst Both nurse their injuries, the US will make sure that the repairs are hampered and increase it adventurism elsewhere riding on the momentum.
If Russia remains uninvolved in the conflict then Both US and Russia will stand to gain advantage over Japan and China.
Both will race ahead i developing their Countries while the Japanese and Chinese languish and have to do major repair.
When US succeed to instigate Japan, Asean and major Asian Nations such as South Korea, India and Others; the War is on.
Obviously, us will make use of stupid japan to test china military power. However, Abe will not survive till next term. He will resign next year. China will grow stronger and the rest weaker.
Please insert damaged after badly in the Above Comment's First Paragraph.
My apology for missing out the Important Word.
Anon 3:15
@310:
>> Are the Asia Nations and Asean ready to give Japan a hand? My foot they will.
The geniuses in the GIC, GLCs and gung-ho "investor" Temasek will be figuring out ways how to profit from the conflict. That we can be certain.
Why not? They have huge capital from CPF to do it. During the Vietnam war, Singapore made a lot of money. A lot.
Or it could go the other way, and lose. ;-)
No need to worry for the chinese. They are master of brain games. Despite being technologically challenged, Hitler respected this race. "In The Political Testament of Adolf Hitler, Hitler stated,
'Pride in one's own race – and that does not imply contempt for other races – is also a normal and healthy sentiment. I have never regarded the Chinese or the Japanese as being inferior to ourselves. They belong to ancient civilizations, and I admit freely that their past history is superior to our own. They have the right to be proud of their past, just as we have the right to be proud of the civilization to which we belong. Indeed, I believe the more steadfast the Chinese and the Japanese remain in their pride of race, the easier I shall find it to get on with them.' " He tried to compare chinese and japs on par cos he was just japs friendly but he knew very well japs are less superior than chinese. the chinese is the true master race.
@849:
>> No need to worry for the chinese. They are master of brain games.
Ya, but nowadays everyone knows it. and they've been caught out so many times already -- under reporting the bad news, over inflating the favourable news, deliberately hiding very bad news and especially data.
Everyone doing business in China knows that you cannot trust "the figures" released by the government.
Once everyone knows that you're always trying to pull a fast one --even when you're not -- you have very little strategic advantage left in that gambit.
Unfortunately, he had chosen jap as the ally and that was the first sign of more crimes and failures. Uncle sam seems to be repeating Hitler mistake by working with the japs.
'Everyone doing business in China knows that you cannot trust "the figures" released by the government'
- only china? all the countries do the same lah especially in papaya county.
South China seas is packed with navy vessels from US, China, Taiwan. vietnm etc.
Last week a returning navy vessel returning from Taiwan, spotted a US
P3c flying very very low over it. Even circle twice above it. According to the news, this is very strange.
India wanted to build up its infrastructure, including the high speed rail. Japan wants to provide financing and technical expertise during the Japan visit by Indian PM.
Believe India is for peace.
Despite differences, the Chinese and Indian leaders shook hands.
But of late, Japan and India seem to be getting very close. Just like Spore and India. why huh??
If India is in the alliance against China, then very jialat liao>
India has the numbers, the N-bombs, large military and off coursee the cash also. Together with Japan it is 'finishto' for China rising aspiration.
Really? I never knew India is that rich a country. In that case what is India's rising aspirations? I am sure they are also jostling to be an Asian or even world power judging from their stand against Pakistan and China over the years.
As for the help from Japan, perhaps Mahathir can give you a lesson on Japanese subterfuge. But Indians are equal to the challenge I am absolutely sure.
They the Indians do have a common objective a geo-political objective against China.
Correction :India and Japan do have a common objective a geo-political objective against China.
The Indian Army is a joke. They can only bully the smaller neighbouring states. Try Pakistan which is not even a quarter of its size and it already has its hand full.
But the India do pose a SERIOUS challenge to China rising aspirations to be Asia dominant power in the long run, with India now being Asia 3RD largest economy. With a large market it can soon overtake Japan .
The Indian navy made appreance in south china sea recently, very crowded already the south china sea, still go disturb.
Now got aircraft carriers can yayapapaya unlike SG
Active:
INS Viraat: Centaur class carrier (ex-HMS Hermes) in service since 1987.
INS Vikramaditya : Modified Kiev class carrier (ex-Admiral Gorshkov) due in service October 2013.
Under construction:
INS Vikrant: 40,000 ton Vikrant class carrier. It is being built at Cochin Shipyard and is expected to enter service in 2017.
INS Vishal: 65,000 ton Vikrant-class carrier. Expected to enter service in 2022.
But Singapore army chief is sending Spore national servicemen to India to train.
No space? what about Australia?
Is Spore 'clinging to Indian big thigh ' due to a declining Japan?
Aircraft carriers are offensive weapons, used to project military power and conduct wars far away. The US was untouchable for decades with supreme dominance in having biggest and most advanced aircraft carriers. That's the main reason they were so arrogant and aggressive in starting wars everywhere, including sailing the carriers into the Taiwan Straits during the tension between China and Taiwan.
Now China has developed aircraft carrier killer missiles. This has become a game changer and made carriers obsolete. They are now sitting ducks waiting to be sunk with the full compliments of aircraft and crews in the thousands. The American aircraft carriers would have to run for their lives if they are within the 3000km radius from China's coastline.
But aircraft carriers can still be useful against clearly weaker countries. Wait till China pass a few of their carrier killer missiles to Iran and North Korea and see if the Americans would dare to conduct wargames in their coastal seas.
Russia has been relatively quiet on new weapons development lately, but I am sure they are not at all uninterested in the developments around their Eastern front.
Let us say the US, Japan and India team up in an alliance and do put China down with another war of mass destruction and occupy China, would the Russians just sit by and watch when the US is able to threaten them just at their border? The Russians may not be that daft to tolerate the wolf at their doorstep. Things are not as simple as we think.
Furthermore, we never know what new kinds of weapons the Russians have developed. They may be down but certainly not out of the equation.
redbean - you should remind the Japs of the Potsdam Declaration and Cairo Declaration, in particular:
"Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine." As had been announced in the Cairo Declaration in 1943.
All the territories Japan has taken from China such as Manchuria (Dongbei), Formosa (Taiwan), and the Pescadores (Penghu), shall be restored to the Republic of China.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdam_Declaration
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Declaration
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdam_Agreement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdam_Conference
Including the Okinawa chain.
Okinawa was the Japanese word identifying the islands, first seen in the biography of Jianzhen, written in 779. Agricultural societies begun in the 8th century slowly developed until the 12th century.
Since the islands are located at the eastern perimeter of the East China Sea relatively close to Japan, China and South-East Asia, the Ryūkyū Kingdom became a prosperous trading nation. Also during this period, many Gusukus, similar to castles, were constructed. The Ryūkyū Kingdom had a tributary relationship with the Chinese Empire beginning in the 15th century.
There remain numerous Ryukyuan languages which are more or less incomprehensible to Japanese speakers. These languages are in decline as Standard Japanese is being used by the younger generation
--WIKI
US base is there so this one quite difficult.
US Navy is spending US$13B to the new super Ford class aircraft carrier after cost overrun US$2.5B.
That is more than what Spore spent per year ! So much for Spore punching above it weight
US rushing to complete the construction of the 100,000 ton carrier.
US AND JAPAN is going to hold a major military exercise as US-China leaders set to meet.
The war games, called Dawn Blitz 2013, will simulate an amphibious landing assault to retake an island — California’s San Clemente Island.
Aiyoh, exercise for what? They thought by pounding Iraq to shreds and taking over the country within a few days, they can start shouting 'mission accomplished'. What happened afterwards? Years later they were still fighting the war and paid a heavy price both monetarily and in terms of human lives.
War,war,war..endless war.
Iraq war quickly followed by Afghan
(Spore also involved).
Decade of deads and destruction in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In between, war against Lebanon 2006 by Israel, massive destruction and deads. Hot bombs delivered from UK, no condemnation fom US/West except France/EU.
Then Libya war destruction and fatalities again.
Now civil war in Syria, supported by US senator Maccain himself who visited and took photo with the rebels in the newspaper! So much for regime change.
When come to China military, threat, threat, threat theory in the western media, come on..
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