By Zhang Junshe
Recently, the US has again frequently wooed its allies including Japan and Australia to make highly targeted joint patrols, military exercises, reconnaissance and other provocative actions in China's South China Sea and its surrounding areas, which have aggravated tensions in the Asia-Pacific region and jeopardized regional peace and stability.
Meanwhile, under the instigation of the US, Australia and Japan actively cooperated with its so-called "Indo-Pacific Strategy" by significantly increasing military expenditure and expanding military preparedness or sending maritime forces to demonstrate military presence. Japan's recently announced expeditionary operation in the Asia-Pacific and Australia's new version of national defense strategy manifested their new measures in response to the US.
Japan's "Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024" Asia-Pacific expeditionary operation, spanning seven months from early May to December, will see six surface ships, two P-1 maritime patrol aircraft and several submarines, led by aircraft carriers JS Izumo and JS Kaga and divided into four battle groups, visiting the US, the Philippines, India, Australia and the Pacific island countries including Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and participating in almost all joint exercises held in these regions including the US-led Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 and Pacific Dragon, the Australian-led Kakadu 2024, and the US and India-led Exercise MALABAR. Japan aims to enhance its joint combat capabilities with its allies in the region. Both the aircraft carriers involved in the operation have completed the first phase of modification and can be equipped with the US-made F-35B stealth fighters. The US and Japanese media reported that the "Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024" will be the largest and longest ever Asia-Pacific expeditionary operation of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), underscoring Japan's determination to strengthen cooperation with its allies and exhibiting its strong intent to coordinate with the US' vying for influence on Pacific island countries for containing China.
Although Japan's military operations are cloaked under the banner of promoting regional peace and stability, its true intentions are blatantly evident. First, it takes the opportunity to break through the constraints of the pacifist Constitution and the "exclusively defense-oriented" policy, elevate the long-distance force projection and overseas combat capabilities of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), heighten its military presence and influences in the Asia-Pacific, accelerate the military normalization process, and gradually achieve its ambition of becoming a military power and "normal country". Second, it intends to demonstrate its alliance deterrence and combat capabilities under the support of the US and weaken China's regional influences by extending goodwill towards the US while displaying assertiveness towards regional nations. Third, it aims to promote the arms export. In fact, as one of the breeding grounds and defeated countries in World War II, Japan has seriously violated the relevant provisions of the pacifist Constitution with its behaviors such as possessing attack aircraft carriers, deploying troops overseas and stepping up overseas combat and deterrence capabilities.
Echoing Japan, Australia proclaimed the possibility of potential conflicts between China and the US and further blatantly leveraged the pretext of containing China to bolster its naval capacities. Based on the new defense strategy, Australia will increase its defense spending to 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) over the next 10 years, with the total defense investment expected to reach AUD 330 billion (about USD 211.9 billion). The money will be prioritized on developing offensive weapons such as surface combat capabilities, the nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS, underwater drones and long-range missiles, in a bid to address "the possibility of a Pacific conflict."
The Australian Defense Department repeatedly referenced China when introducing the new defense strategy, utilizing the so-called unsubstantiated "China threat theory" as a camouflage. Nonetheless, in reality, there are no significant military threats in the surrounding areas of Australia, so the department had to admit that "an invasion of Australia is an unlikely prospect in any scenario." Therefore, Australia's reinforcement of military strength virtually targets acting in concert with the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" of the US and acts as its pawn, offering vocal support during peaceful times but ready to play the role of the US' hatch man in case of conflicts to maintain the regional and global hegemony of the US.
The Asia-Pacific region is a stage for peaceful development rather than an abattoir for major power gaming. It is advised that Japan and Australia have a proper understanding of China's development and strategic intentions instead of acting as a vanguard of the US hegemonic expansion and following it in inciting bloc confrontation and undermining the regional people's common desire for peace, stability and development.
(The author is a military expert of the PLA Navy.)
Editor's note: Originally published on huanqiu.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
