DA admits assuming invasion of Japan by China and Russia: GSDF secret plan

The Defense Agency has admitted that the 1997 secret military plan of the Ground Self-Defense Force was based on the assumption that China and Russia would invade Japan. A Defense Agency official recently informed Ogata Yasuo (Japanese Communist Party member of the Upper House) of this plan.

In the House of Councilors Audit Committee meeting on April 2, Ogata revealed a 1997 GSDF internal document which includes a plan called "long-term defense estimate." The military plan was on the assumption of several events, including country "Z" invading Hokkaido in northern Japan, and country "X" invading Kyushu in southwestern Japan.

Pointing out that country "X" presumably means China and country "Z" Russia, Ogata requested the Defense Agency to submit to the Diet the full text of the secret plan along with the GSDF chief of staff directive to shape it.

Later, the DA official visited Ogata to explain that the government does not assume Russia and China as hypothetical enemies, and that there is no probability that Russia and China will invade Japan.

But, by saying that the probability of China and Russia invading Japan cannot be excluded completely, the Defense Agency virtually recognized that the agency assumes that Russia and China might invade Japan. (end)