Japan Press Weekly

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2021 April 21 - 27 [POLITICS]

JCP opposes strengthening the military alliance posing risks and burdens on the Japanese people

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on April 17 issued a statement on the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting on the same date. The full text is as follows:

SHII Kazuo
Chair, Japanese Communist Party
April 17, 2021
Tokyo

(1)
The Japan-U.S. Joint Leader’s Statement noted a need to “further strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance”, indicating that both countries are committed to heavily reinforcing its military alliance.

In the statement, the Japanese government resolved to bolster “its own national defense capabilities”, and both Japan and the United States committed to enhancing “deterrence and response capabilities”, to deepening “defense cooperation across all domains, including cyber and space” and to bolstering “extended deterrence” or “nuclear umbrella”.

It is also of grave concern that they confirmed to continue with the construction of a new U.S. base in Okinawa’s Henoko district as “the only solution” even though Okinawans repeatedly expressed their opposition, and agreed on pushing forward with the plan to convert Mageshima Island into a military base.

Furthermore, it confirmed “to conclude in a timely manner a meaningful multi-year Host Nation Support agreement to ensure the stationing of U.S. forces in Japan”, and to continue and expand Japan’s financial burdens for the cost of stationing U.S troops in Japan which have already reached the extraordinary amount of approximately 800 billion yen which is unparalleled in the world.

These are perilous agreements for promoting full military cooperation between Japan and the U.S. on a global scale, reversing a global trend calling for peace such as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and bringing intolerable sacrifices and burdens on the Japanese people.

The Japanese Communist Party resolutely opposes their intent to further strengthen the military alliance.

(2)
The joint statement opposed “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea” as well as “China’s unlawful maritime claims and activities in the South China Sea”. In addition, it states, “we share serious concerns regarding the human rights situation in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.”

China’s hegemonism in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, as well as its human rights violations in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, must be severely criticized. However, what is most important is to specifically point to China’s claims and activities that violate international law and to calmly demand that China comply with international law.

In this regard, the Japan-U.S. Joint Leader’s Statement lacks criticism of the China Coast Guard Law, which symbolizes China’s hegemony, as a violation of international law, and its pointing out of China’s illegality is limited to its “unlawful maritime claims” in the South China Sea. Even for the grave human rights violations being committed by China, the statement only expressed “serious concerns,” but lacks criticism that these actions are international issues that violates international human rights agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convent on Human Rights, and the Vienna Declaration. This is not an essential criticism of China’s hegemony and human rights violations.

What is even more significant is that the Japan-U.S. Joint Leader’s Statement places China’s response to these issues in the context of “strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance.” Strengthening the military response without criticism based on international law will only lead to a dangerous vicious cycle of increasing military tensions.

(3)
The Japan-U.S. Joint Leader’s Statement refers to the “importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” What is also of grave concern here is that the Joint Statement places this reference in the context of “strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance.”

In order to resolve the Taiwan issue, the freely expressed public opinion of Taiwanese residents should be respected, and non-peaceful means should be categorically excluded. The JCP strongly opposes China’s intensification of military pressure and intimidation.

At the same time, the JCP firmly opposes any move by either Japan or the United States to become militarily involved in the Taiwan issue.

I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that the resolution of the Taiwan issue should be done solely through peaceful diplomatic means.