January 13, 2023

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The Japanese and U.S. governments on January 11 held a Security Consultative Committee meeting (2-plus-2 dialogue) in Washington. Japan in the talks promised a major arms buildup which will include the possession of the capability to preemptively attack enemy bases. The U.S. "strongly supported" Japan's acquisition of this capability.

Their joint statement criticized China for "reshaping the international order to its benefit" and considered the Chinese behavior to be of "serious concern" to the Japan-U.S. Alliance. Regarding the Taiwan issue, the statement emphasized "the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait". The U.S. administration is seeking to incorporate a Japan with the counterforce capability into its military strategy to deal with China in order to further promote the Japan-U.S. military integration.

The statement stressed the need to "optimize U.S. force posture in Japan", calling for the realignment of part of the U.S. Marine Corps deployed in Okinawa into a Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) by 2025. The MLR will be equipped with long-range missiles and will have the capability with a readiness to deploy many small units on islands which include the Japanese southwest islands and the Philippines. The MLR will play a pivotal role in U.S. Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), aiming to attack Chinese warships and aircraft.

Japan's Self-Defense Forces will introduce domestically-made long-range missiles and U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles in order to become capable of attacking enemy missile bases. The SDF will try to boost its military strength in the islands located southwest of the main islands of Japan as well as in Okinawa.

To militarily respond to military threats will only heighten the risk of war. Japan's participation in an offensive against enemy bases in U.S. wars abroad will inevitably bring retaliation from the enemy, and the target will be Japan and not just its southwest islands. The military moves which could lead to Japan's destruction must be blocked.