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Japan's Disarming Return to Asia
January 15, 2002
Summary
Japan plans to adjust its comprehensive disarmament policy to focus more on conventional weapons and land mines, rather than solely on nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction. The shift is part of a broader revision of defense policy that was triggered by changes in perceived national security threats. By positioning itself as the global leader in stemming the proliferation of small arms and land mines, Tokyo hopes to create a foreign policy niche for itself while reducing foreign opposition to its expanding defense role.
Analysis
Japan will soon adjust its comprehensive disarmament policy to focus on conventional weapons proliferation, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported. Although the country has long been active in international efforts to stem the proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, Japan will now place greater emphasis on quelling the spread of small arms and land mines in places like Afghanistan and Cambodia, as well as on direct nonproliferation efforts throughout Asia and Africa.
The shift is part of a broader review of Japan's defense and foreign policies, triggered by rapid changes in international relations and domestic security considerations in recent years. In part, Tokyo hopes to carve out a new diplomatic niche for Japan as the main proponent of small-arms reductions, something that may bolster its case for a permanent seat on the United Nation's Security Council. In the long run, however, through direct involvement of Japanese defense-force personnel around Asia and Africa, Tokyo hopes to reverse foreign opposition to its expanding international defense role.
The sudden change in the global balance of relations after the Sept. 11 attacks offered Japan a chance to shift domestic attention away from the nation's dismal financial situation. At the same time, it allowed Tokyo to rapidly accelerate existing plans to redraw the role of its defense forces both at home and abroad. Ultimately, through its nonproliferation agenda, Japanese forces will once again be deployed throughout South and East Asia, thoroughly solidifying Japan's assumption of a regional security role.
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Japan's Disarming Return to Asia . . .