Japan Press Weekly

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2022 January 26 - February 1 [POLITICS]

PM Kishida does not deny his predecessor’s ‘possession of capability to annihilate enemy bases’ remark

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio did not attempt to make any criticism of his predecessor Abe’s remark that what Japan should possess is the capability to annihilate enemy bases, in response to grilling by a Japanese Communist Party lawmaker at a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on January 26.

Ex-PM Abe made the remark in question in November 2021 at a conservative organization-hosted assembly.

At the Lower House Budget Committee meeting, Japanese Communist Party representative Kokuta Keiji asked PM Kishida if he can comment on Abe’s claim that the enemy base attack capability includes the military capacity to “annihilate the enemy”. In response, Kishida avoided providing clear answers.

Kokuta pointed out that PM Kishida in March 2021 on Twitter wrote that it is necessary for Japan to possess the capability to damage the enemy’s missile capability through direct strikes. Kokuta said that Kishida and Abe have similar views, which go against the war-renouncing Constitution.

Furthermore, Kokuta grilled PM Kishida about a possibility that Japan may attack enemy bases to exercise Japan’s collective-defense right based on the national security-related legislation. In response, Kishida said that if such a case arises, the government will discuss options in accordance with international law and constitutional restrictions.

Kokuta pointed out that under the national security-related legislation, if Japan possesses the capability to attack enemy bases, this may cause a situation where Japan may possibly exercise the right to collective self-defense to protect U.S. troops under fire and attack the U.S. enemy. He added that for this reason, the JCP has been criticizing the national security-related legislation as war-laws.