Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed a reinterpretation of Japan’s postwar constitution to allow the military to use force alongside other national militaries, a right that postwar Japanese leaders have to date refused their Self-Defense Force (SDF). Japan’s decision will shape the way the SDF cooperates not only with the U.S. military but with other militaries in Asia, where relations are increasingly fraught. Japan has already expanded its security consultations with a variety of regional powers, including Australia, South Korea, the Philippines, and India, and has relaxed restrictions on the transfer of military technology. Now, the SDF could play a role in building regional military coalitions.
The Right of Collective Self-Defense
Two arguments are shaping Japan’s contemporary politics over the “right of collective self-defense”: the military rationale for policy change and the demand for a national consensus on changing the government’s interpretation of the constitution.
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The US
U.S. hails defense revamp
Tuesday’s decision by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet to reinterpret the Constitution to allow collective self-defense has divided Japan, with some people fearing it would drag the nation into a U.S.-led war.
But in the U.S., the change is being hailed as a positive step, long in development, that will enhance the U.S.-Japan military relationship and Japan’s overall standing in Asia.
“The new policy will enable the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to engage in a wider range of operations and make the U.S.-Japan alliance even more effective,” Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said in a statement. “It also complements our ongoing efforts to modernize our alliance through the revision of our bilateral guidelines for defense cooperation.”
Japantimes
Korea
Keep spirit of Constitution: S. Korea
SEOUL – South Korea urged Japan on Tuesday to maintain the spirit of its pacifist constitution despite reinterpreting the text, allowing the country to exercise the right to collective self-defense.
“The Japanese government, while upholding the basic spirit of its more than 60-year-old pacifist Constitution and within the framework of the U.S.-Japan alliance, should be transparent in its efforts and should not undermine regional peace and stability,” the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The South Korean government has not openly expressed opposition to Japan’s changes, partly because they are supported by the United States. However, it is concerned about potentially negative public reaction.
Japantimes
China
The leaders of China expressed concern Friday about Japan's recent reinterpretation of its war-renouncing constitution and its re-examination of a past apology for wartime atrocities.
newsyahoo
Philippines
The Philippines on Wednesday welcomed Japan’s move to re-interpret its pacifist constitution that will give its armed forces a greater security role in the region.
The Department of Foreign Affairs called it “a step in the right direction.”
Japan’s cabinet approved on Tuesday a limited reinterpretation of its constitution, allowing it to respond to security threats facing its regional allies. After its defeat in World War II, Japan has adopted a pacifist constitution that forbids it to use force in resolving conflicts, except in self-defense.
The move came amid rising sea tensions between Japan and China on the East China Sea, and Southeast Asian nations like the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, and China off the South China Sea.
“The Philippines welcomes the valuable contributions Japan has been making for global and regional peace and stability,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said, reiterating President Benigno S. Aquino III’s statement of support he delivered in Japan during an official visit last June.
“We are confident that Japan will continue to play an important role in addressing our common security challenges,” Jose said.
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