China is expanding its military activities across east Asia and catching up with the United States as a military power, the Japanese government reported in a grim assessment of its security situation.
In the latest sign of bitter enmity with its closest neighbour, Tokyo pointedly downgraded South Korea among its friends and security partners in its new white paper of defence. It also confirmed for the first-time what officials have acknowledged this year – that North Korea has the capacity to attack Japan with nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.
For decades Japan's security strategy was consistent and stable, based on the alliance with its protector, the US, and on the predictable and long-established military power of China, the USSR and then Russia.
In the 21st century, however, east Asia has been transformed by the rising military power of China, and most recently by the newly acquired nuclear capacity of North Korea. Hints by President Trump, meanwhile, that Japan and South Korea cannot take US protection for granted, have added to the sense of long-term insecurity.
Japan plans to spend 5.32 trillion yen (£39 billion) on defence this year, a 1.2 per cent increase, much of it on new stealth fighters and aircraft carriers. This is eclipsed by China, whose budget is three times larger than Japan's and rising at 7.5 per cent a year.
"China, whose defence budget has been rapidly on the rise, is now almost neck and neck with the United States," Taro Kono, the defence minister, said in Tokyo today.
The white paper said that a joint operation last July by Russian and Chinese bomber aircraft over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea suggests that the two countries are co-operating more closely than before.
Mr Kono said: "China is deploying air and sea assets in the western Pacific and through the Tsushima Strait into the Sea of Japan with greater frequency."
In last year's white paper the ability of North Korea to miniaturise its nuclear warheads to the extent necessary to mount them successfully on a missile was presented as a possibility; this year it is regarded as an accomplished fact.
"Taking into consideration its technological maturity acquired by nuclear tests, North Korea seems to have already achieved miniaturisation of warheads to place atop ballistic missiles," it says.
"North Korea possesses and deploys several hundred ballistic missiles capable of reaching every part of Japan and continues to possess capabilities for conducting surprise attacks against Japan."
In the latest sign of bitter enmity with its closest neighbour, Tokyo pointedly downgraded South Korea among its friends and security partners in its new white paper of defence. It also confirmed for the first-time what officials have acknowledged this year – that North Korea has the capacity to attack Japan with nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.
For decades Japan's security strategy was consistent and stable, based on the alliance with its protector, the US, and on the predictable and long-established military power of China, the USSR and then Russia.
In the 21st century, however, east Asia has been transformed by the rising military power of China, and most recently by the newly acquired nuclear capacity of North Korea. Hints by President Trump, meanwhile, that Japan and South Korea cannot take US protection for granted, have added to the sense of long-term insecurity.
Japan plans to spend 5.32 trillion yen (£39 billion) on defence this year, a 1.2 per cent increase, much of it on new stealth fighters and aircraft carriers. This is eclipsed by China, whose budget is three times larger than Japan's and rising at 7.5 per cent a year.
"China, whose defence budget has been rapidly on the rise, is now almost neck and neck with the United States," Taro Kono, the defence minister, said in Tokyo today.
The white paper said that a joint operation last July by Russian and Chinese bomber aircraft over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea suggests that the two countries are co-operating more closely than before.
Mr Kono said: "China is deploying air and sea assets in the western Pacific and through the Tsushima Strait into the Sea of Japan with greater frequency."
In last year's white paper the ability of North Korea to miniaturise its nuclear warheads to the extent necessary to mount them successfully on a missile was presented as a possibility; this year it is regarded as an accomplished fact.
"Taking into consideration its technological maturity acquired by nuclear tests, North Korea seems to have already achieved miniaturisation of warheads to place atop ballistic missiles," it says.
"North Korea possesses and deploys several hundred ballistic missiles capable of reaching every part of Japan and continues to possess capabilities for conducting surprise attacks against Japan."
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