By Zhong Sheng
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan adopted a draft proposal to be submitted to the government on revising the "Three Security Documents" within the year. The draft features radical propositions, including a substantial hike in defense spending, full removal of arms export restrictions, and vigorous development of offensive military capabilities.
This is by no means a mere policy adjustment, but a dangerous move by Japan's right-wing forces to accelerate their breakaway from post-war constraints and fully push forward remilitarization. The potential impact of such acts on regional peace and stability cannot be underestimated.
The Japanese government's intensive push to revise the "Three Security Documents" marks a critical step in breaking through the post-war "exclusively defense-oriented" principle. The three documents, namely the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program, are regarded as the overarching framework for Japan's security and defense. The Japanese government adopted the current version at the end of 2022, originally planning to raise defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) by fiscal year 2027.
However, after Sanae Takaichi took office, she accelerated the relevant plans and moved the target forward to fiscal year 2025. Now, with the "Three Security Documents" having been implemented for less than four years, the Takaichi administration is already eager to revise the existing ones and roll out new versions. Its impetuous posture of compressing the policy cycle and accelerating military transition has been fully exposed.
A close look at the draft provisions reveals Japan's impulsive drive for remilitarization and a dangerous shift in its new round of security policies. The draft blatantly proposes to further strengthen standoff defense capability and counterattack capability, advocates securing necessary and sufficient missile quantities and improving missile performance including range, and even seeks to build submarines capable of carrying vertical launch systems and firing long-range missiles.
It clamors to respond to new combat methods and seeks to build integrated all-domain combat capabilities covering space, cyberspace, and electromagnetic domains. It vigorously advocates maintaining and ensuring sustained combat capability, proposes to carry out institutional restructuring in an unprecedented manner, and aims to achieve the transformation of defense capabilities within five years. What appears as defense adjustments on the surface is in essence a blueprint for offensive buildup. Akihiro Sado, vice president of Osaka Seikei University and a security policy expert, pointed out that although Japan still claims to be a "peaceful nation" verbally, it has long abandoned this concept in practice.
To speed up rearmament, Japan's right-wing forces keep hyping up the surrounding security situation and groundlessly accuse and smear China's normal military activities. Under the pretext of strengthening defense and passive response, they are in fact vigorously developing medium- and long-range offensive weapons, enhancing power projection and forward deployment, and attempting to deeply embed military expansion and war preparedness into national institutions, economic industries, and public opinion. Step by step, they are breaking through the constraints of Japan's Constitution and international law, blatantly challenging the post-war international order, and posing a real threat to regional security.
History never forgives adventurers who ignore lessons. As a major initiator and a defeated nation of World War II, Japan should have borne in mind the profound disasters brought by that war and earnestly abided by the pacifist Constitution. However, the hasty revision of the "Three Security Documents" reflects the ambition of Japan's right-wing forces to eagerly break free from post-war constraints and revive militarism. Any move to pursue remilitarization by Japan is not only an impact on regional security and stability but also the most reckless betrayal of its own future.