By Zhao Yanan and Chen Yue

August 15 this year marks the 80th anniversary of Japan's announcement of unconditional surrender. Looking back, the aggressive wars launched by Japanese militarism once brought untold suffering to the peoples of Asian countries. After WWII, Japan implemented a pacifist constitution that explicitly restricted the development of its armed forces to prevent the resurgence of militarism. However, the specter of militarism has never left Japan and its right-wing forces have never abandoned their dream of becoming a military power. In recent years, in particular, driven by ambitions for military expansion and under the encouragement and connivance of the US, Japan has step by step hollowed out its pacifist constitution in an attempt to break away from the postwar system, which has aroused deep concern in the international community over a potential revival of militarism.

Japan has been continuously breaking through restrictions to loosen the constraints on its military development. In April 2014, Japan approved the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology on the Cabinet meeting, drastically loosening restrictions on arms and technology exports. In essence, it has effectively scrapped the Three Principles on Arms Exports that had been in place for nearly half a century. In September 2015, the Japanese government forced through new security legislation despite widespread criticism that the move was unconstitutional, legalizing the exercise of collective self-defense and overseas deployments of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). In December 2022, the Japanese government formally adopted the National Security Strategy (NSS), the National Defense Strategy (NDS) and the Defense Buildup Program (DBP). These documents emphasize the capabilities to strike enemy bases, marking a shift from the long-standing exclusively defense-oriented policy to a posture that embraces preemptive strikes.

Japan has been pursuing the development of offensive military capabilities. First, Japan has sharply increased its defense budget. Since fiscal year 2023, the annual defense spending of Japan has consecutively exceeded 6 trillion, 7 trillion, and 8 trillion yen. Under the three new national security documents, Japan plans to raise defense spending to 2% of its GDP in fiscal year 2027. This unprecedented level of defense investment breaks the post-war convention, long observed by Japanese governments, of keeping the defense budget below 1% of GDP, and will provide substantial financial backing for its military expansion. Second, Japan has constructed the capabilities to strike enemy bases by the JSDF. In recent years, it has pushed forward the development of hypersonic and ballistic missile technologies, deployed various types of anti-ship missiles, and introduced offensive weapons such as Tomahawk cruise missiles to enhance its standoff strike capability. Third, Japan has sought to acquire combat capabilities in emerging domains. From establishing a Space Operations Squadron, to expanding the size and mission scope of the JSDF Cyber Defense Unit, and accelerating the formation of electronic warfare units in Japan's southwestern regions...Tokyo has been steadily enhancing its military footprint in space, cyberspace, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Moreover, it is integrating these "new-type forces" with conventional land, sea, and air power, aiming to use such capabilities as force multipliers to bolster its overall military strength.

Japan has continued to build an extensive military cooperation network. Following the removal of restrictions on the right of collective self-defense, Tokyo has gradually established a legal pretext for external defense cooperation, using it to intensify military interactions with other countries and push toward military normalization, which further undermines the constraints of the pacifist constitution. On the one hand, Japan has been deepening the Japan-US alliance. Through setting up the JSDF Joint Operations Command (JJOC), expanding the scale and frequency of joint drills with US forces, and upgrading bilateral defense and security cooperation, Japan has been actively cooperating with Washington’s military posture and force deployments in the so-called Indo-Pacific region. In doing so, Japan not only boosts its military capabilities but also secures tacit US support for loosening the post-war restrictions on its armed forces. On the other hand, Tokyo has been using military ties to court other partners. It has signed Reciprocal Access Agreements (RAA) with Australia, the UK, and the Philippines in an attempt to secure more footholds for the overseas presence of the JSDF. At the same time, Japan has stepped up military engagement with NATO, steadily strengthening institutionalized cooperation under the banner of exchanges and joint activities. In essence, these moves serve to promote its own military buildup.

Any betrayal of historical truth will, in the end, face the judgment of justice. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Japan's series of unprecedented military moves is drawing scrutiny from its Asian neighbors and the international community. As a defeated nation of WWII, Japan has the responsibility to draw lessons from history, honor the pacifist constitution, and genuinely pursue friendship with neighbors and peaceful development. The peace-loving people of the world must never forget the history written in blood and sacrifice. They must remain vigilant against any resurgence of Japanese militarism, firmly defend the victorious outcomes of WWII, and jointly create a better future for all of humanity.

(The author is from the PLA Academy of Military Sciences.)