In its annual defense white paper released on Friday, Japan’s Ministry of Defense warned that the possibility of a situation similar to Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine occurring in the Indo-Pacific. Japan also again singling out China, North Korea and Russia as threats to Japan and the region.
Meanwhile, the head of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force has resigned over misconduct by JMSDF personnel, namely routine mishandling of classified materials, fraudulent claims and having free meals at base mess halls that they were not entitled to.
In the “Defense of Japan 2024” white paper, the MOD said the international community was facing its greatest trial since World War II, as states do not share universal values or political and economic systems. The MOD also said that risks in cyberspace and other domains are becoming more serious and other security-related global issues such as information warfare and climate change are emerging while gray-zone situations involving territorial disputes are constantly occurring.
The document reports on Japan’s security environment over the past fiscal year (April 2023 to March 2024), along with efforts carried out by the MOD during that period.
The Indo-Pacific, according to the MOD, is where these global security environments and challenges are particularly prominent and are and are likely to intensify in the future. The document did not state which country Japan expected to carry out such aggression, though likely the MOD was alluding to China, which has vowed to reunify Taiwan by force if necessary and also claimed the Senkaku Islands held by Japan as its territory.
Russia was castigated for its aggression against Ukraine. “This situation, in which a permanent member of the Security Council, which is supposed to take primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, openly engages in military actions challenging international law and the international order, claims innocent lives and repeatedly uses language and actions that can be interpreted as threats involving nuclear weapons, is unprecedented,” said the MOD. If such aggression was tolerated, the MOD warned, it could send the wrong message and imply that unilateral changes to the status quo by force are also acceptable elsewhere.
The white paper stated that China’s external posture, military activities and other activities are a matter of serious concern for Japan and the international community and present an unprecedented challenge to which Japan should respond with its comprehensive national power. It also stated that China has been intensifying its activities in the region surrounding Japan, particularly around the Senkaku Islands, the Sea of Japan and the western Pacific Ocean, extending beyond the first island chain to the second island chain (a line from Japan’s Ogasawara Islands to Western New Guinea, with Guam located well within the line).
China has intensified its military activities around Taiwan, and through its exercise, was seeking to create a fait accompli where the People’s Liberation Army is operating, and improve its actual combat capabilities, stated the white paper. It also said China has intensified its activities in the South China Sea based on assertions, that conflicting with existing international maritime laws, and promoting the establishment of military bases. “Such actions to further promote unilateral change of the status quo by force and turning it into a fait accompli are serious concerns to Japan,” read the white paper.
The white paper said that China was increasing its military cooperation with Russia and that the recurring joint bomber flights and joint naval sails around Japan “are clearly intended for demonstration of force against Japan.”
North Korea’s ongoing efforts to increase and improve its nuclear and missile capabilities were highlighted in the report. “North Korea is focusing on qualitatively improving its nuclear and missile capabilities, such as diversifying its equipment systems and acquiring intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) means that complement its nuclear and missile operational capabilities.”
The defense white paper did not indicate any new developments in Japan’s defense capabilities or partnerships with other countries, only summarizing ongoing programs and cooperation carried out in Japan’s FY23 fiscal year.
Meanwhile on Friday, JMSDF Chief Adm. Ryo Sakai resigned from his post effective July 19. Japanese media had reported on July 6 that Sakai intended to resign, taking personal responsibility for a spate of mishandling of classified information by personnel on board several Japanese destroyers. In these incidents, crewmembers who had not undergone background checks that would clear them for access to classified information, had been allowed to handle such information and also entered restricted areas.
The investigations into the handling of classified information among the MOD and the three services of the Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) was initiated in April this year. It found that the JMSDF had the highest number of violations with 45 cases out of an overall SDF total of 58, which included improper disposal of classified material. Japan’s Defense Ministry on Friday announced that disciplinary action had been undertaken against 218 personnel from both the Ministry and JSDF with 113 of these being for the mishandling of classified information. The 113 also included those in the chain of command being held responsible for not adequately conducting oversight and included Sakai, who had a percentage of his salary deducted.
The remaining 105 personnel had action taken against them for other misconduct, with 62 JMSDF personnel illegally claiming diving allowances between April 2017 and October 2022 without actually carrying out dives. Twenty JMSDF personnel were disciplined for having free meals at bases when they were not entitled for such. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara apologized for the situation and said he would relinquish a month’s salary as a Cabinet Minister.
In a farewell message, Sakai stated that “there were incidents which have greatly undermined the public’s expectations and trust in the JMSDF including improper management of classified information and allowance fraud. As Chief of Staff, I am acutely aware of my responsibility for the misconduct. Taking this opportunity, please accept my deepest apology for the disappointment caused.”
He also stated that the JMSDF must not allow such incidents to affect the government’s policy of strengthening its defense capability, and is required to take a new posture to resolve the problems so the activities of the JMSDF will not be further hindered. The outgoing JMSDF chief also paid tribute to the eight JMSDF personnel lost in April following a collision between two SH-60K helicopters during a training exercise.
Defense Minister Kihara announced on Friday that Sakai’s successor will be Vadm. Akira Saito, currently the JMSDF fleet commander. While unrelated to Sakai’s resignation, the MOD has launched an investigation into the use of slush funds by Kawasaki Heavy Industries to purchase goods and provide entertainment for JMSDF submariners. Kawasaki itself reported the matter to the MOD, stating that its practice of allowing a single division to procure material and carry out repair work on JMSDF submarines resulted in a situation in which fake claims of transactions with subcontractors were used to create the fund.
On Thursday, Kyodo News reported that China had filed a complaint on JMSDF destroyer JS Suzutsuki (DD-117) had entered China’s territorial waters off the country’s eastern province of Zhejiang on July 4, while the JMSDF destroyer was surveilling a LAN drill. The report stated that Suzutsuki was urged by the Chinese vessels to leave the area when it approached within 12 nautical miles off the coast of Zhejiang, but it sped up and navigated into the Chinese waters for some 20 minutes before leaving the territorial waters. When asked on Friday about the incident, Japan Defense Minister Kihara stated that the MOD and the JSDF normally conduct various activities, including surveillance and monitoring, in the sea and airspace surrounding Japan, “however, as your question concerns a matter pertaining to the operation of the Self-Defense Forces, I will refrain from answering,” stated the Japanese defense chief.