Japan Press Weekly

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2013 October 30 - November 5 [SDF]

SDF training will raise tensions with China: JCP Akamine

Japanese Communist Party Lower House member Akamine Seiken on October 29 called for the cancellation of the Self-Defense Forces’ major training exercise in areas around Okinawa, stressing that it will only increase tensions between Japan and China.

The Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces plan to send 34,000 members to the training exercise in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions to take place from November 1 to November 18.

At a House security committee meeting, Akamine revealed that in preparation for the training exercise the GSDF already deployed land-to-sea missiles to its bases in Naha City and Miyako-jima Island with a possible additional deployment of such missiles to Ishigaki-jima Island. He pointed out that these locations are “prominently political” which could cover waters around the disputed Senkaku Islands.

Defense Minister Onodera Itsunori responded to Akamine by saying that the training exercise is not targeting any specific country.

A Defense Ministry official explained that the U.S. Kadena Base will also conduct exercises during the same period, including materials acquisition, base security, and decontamination procedures on the assumption that the SDF troops are attacked with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

“Okinawans want a diplomatic solution to territorial issues through negotiations between Japan and China in a calm manner,” said Akamine who went on to say that using military provocations must be avoided.