By Wu Minwen
吴敏文
The Japanese government officially published three strategic documents including the National Security Strategy (NSS), National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG) and Medium-Term Defense Program (MTDP) on December 16, 2022. Japan announced that defense spending will be raised to an unprecedented 43 trillion yen in the next five years, and China will be positioned as the "biggest strategic challenge." This change in Japan's defense policy and recent related measures deserves great attention and vigilancefrom the international community.
2022年12月16日，日本政府正式发布《国家安全保障战略》《防卫计划大纲》和《中期防卫力整备计划》三大战略文件，宣布在未来5年将防卫费提升至前所未有的43万亿日元，其中还将中国定位为“最大战略挑战”。日本防卫政策的这一变化和近期的相关举措，值得引起高度注意和警惕。
Greatly improve strength building
力量建设大幅加强
As the US steps up its implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy aimed at containing China's rise, Japan's position in the US global strategy, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, has risen. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has given Japan an excuse and an opportunity to strengthen its defense capabilities.
随着美国加紧实施旨在遏制中国崛起的“印太战略”，日本在美国全球战略尤其是印太地区的地位上升。俄乌冲突则使得日本找到了加强防卫力量建设的借口和契机。
The first is the sharp increase in defense spending. Japan's defense expenditure has long accounted for less than 1 percent of its GDP since 1960. However, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida officially issued an order to increase the total defense expenditure to 43 trillion yen in the next five years on December 5, 2022. This is nearly 1.5 times the total defense expenditure of 27.47 trillion yen of Japan in the previous five years. By 2027, Japan's defense spending will account for 2 percent of its annual GDP, which is the ratio of annual defense spending to GDP that the US requires its NATO allies to spend.
一是防卫经费实现陡增。自1960年以来，日本防卫费长期占国内生产总值的1%以下，然而2022年12月5日，日本首相岸田文雄正式下达未来5年防卫费总额提升至43万亿日元的指令。这是前一个5年防卫费总额27.47万亿日元的近1.5倍。至2027年，日本防卫费将占日本年度国内生产总值的2%，这是美国要求其北约盟国年度防务开支占国内生产总值的比例。
The second is the increased attention on the cyber and space fields. Japan has strong technological advantages in the cyber and space fields. However, due to the limitation of the peace constitution, Japan lacks a legal basis for the development of combat power in the corresponding fields. In recent years, Japan has adopted flexible methods to circumvent restrictions, and vigorously developed new types of combat forces such as cyber and space operations. Its regularly and irregularly revised NDPG and Defense White Paper are also planning and providing resources for improving its space combat capabilities.
二是网络和太空领域备受重视。日本在网络和太空领域具有强大的技术优势，但由于受限于和平宪法，日本在相应领域的作战力量发展缺乏法理基础。近年来，日本采取变通方式规避限制，大力发展网络和太空作战等新质作战力量。其定期和不定期修订的《防卫计划大纲》和《防卫白皮书》，也在为提升太空作战能力作出规划、提供资源。
The third is the extraordinary development of intelligent unmanned systems and equipment. The Ministry of Defense of Japan believes that most of the Japanese Self-Defense Force (JSDF)'s existing drones are reconnaissance type, and there is an urgent need to strengthen the construction of attack drones and their formations. In the Fiscal Year 2023 defense budget, the Ministry of Defense of Japan proposed for the first time the project of "preparing attack drones". While strengthening the combat capabilities of drones, the Japanese Ministry of Defense is also conducting anti-drone research, such as the development of high-power laser and microwave weapons to deal with drone swarm operations.
三是智能无人系统和装备超常发展。日本防卫省认为，自卫队现有无人机多为侦察型，急需加强攻击型无人机及其编队建设。在2023年度防卫预算概算中，日本防卫省首次提出了“整备攻击型无人机”项目。在加强无人机作战能力建设的同时，日本防卫省还在开展反无人机研究，如开发应对无人机蜂群作战的高功率激光和微波武器。
Step up integration into the NATO system
加紧融入北约体系
At the same time, there are indications that Japan is also seeking to step up its integration into the NATO system. Japan is eager to strengthen its global political and military status.
与此同时种种迹象表明，日本也在谋求加紧融入北约体系。日本急欲加强其全球政治、军事地位。
Japan officially joined the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) on November 4, 2022. This is the second East Asian country after South Korea to join NATO's CCDCOE. The CCDCOE is a functional and professional institution under NATO. Given the increasingly important role of cyber-attack and defense in modern warfare, the impact and significance of Japan's role in the CCDCOE cannot be underestimated.
2022年11月4日，日本正式加入北约网络防御中心。这是继韩国加入这一组织之后，第二个东亚国家加入北约网络防御中心。北约网络防御中心是北约下属的功能和专业机构，鉴于网络攻防在现代战争中具有越来越重要的作用，日本加入北约网络防御中心带来的影响和意义不可低估。
Japan's weapons and equipment development are also trying to integrate into the NATO system. The JSDF has been adopting an iterative development model of purchasing from the US and jointly developing with the US in terms of the development of weapons and equipment. The Japanese government announced that it will jointly develop next-generation fighter jets with the UK and Italy on December 9, 2022. This is the first time since World War II that Japan has carried out research and development of main combat equipment and major defense cooperation with NATO countries other than the US and it is of symbolic significance.
日本的武器装备发展也在努力融入北约体系。在武器装备发展上，日本自卫队一直采用从美国购买和与美国联合研制的发展迭代模式。2022年12月9日，日本政府宣布将与英国和意大利联合进行下一代战斗机的研制。这是二战以来日本首次与美国以外的其他北约国家，开展主战装备的研发和重大防务合作，具有标志性意义。
In addition, Japan is also strengthening military exchanges and joint operations with the armed forces of NATO countries. In 2022, Japan signed the Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement with the UK and Australia. At the same time, the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other regional countries frequently conducted military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, which objectively makes Japan a key participant and regional ally in these activities.
此外，日本还在加强与北约国家武装力量之间的军事交流和联合行动。2022年，日本与英国、澳大利亚签署《互惠准入协定》。与此同时，美、日、韩、澳等地区国家在印太地区频繁开展军事演习，客观上使得日本成为这些活动的关键参与者和地区盟友。
The target of combat preparation gets more and more clear
备战对象日趋鲜明
The year 2022 witnessed the revision and release of Japan's three strategic documents on diplomacy and security, including the NSS, NDPG and MTDP. In fact, Japan has broken through the 75-year-old peaceful constitutional principle of "exclusive defense" and changed its national defense policy to "preemptive strike." To this end, Japan will propose the so-called "enemy base attack capability" and define it as "the capability of weapons and equipment capable of attacking enemy missile launch bases."
2022年是日本《国家安全保障战略》《防卫计划大纲》和《中期防卫力整备计划》等外交和安全保障三大战略文件的修订和发布年。日本事实上已经突破延续75年的“专守防卫”的和平宪法原则，将国家防卫政策转变为“先制攻击”。为此，日本将提出所谓“对敌基地攻击能力”，并将其界定为“能够对敌方导弹发射基地进行攻击的武器装备能力”。
Of course, the ambitious expansion plan of the JSDF is not without resistance. First, a substantial increase in defense spending will have a huge impact on the Japanese economy, and the Japanese government's desire to "increase taxes for defense spending" has sparked a public backlash. Japan's Kyoto Shimbun published an editorial that the government's posture in terms of arms expansion is dangerous as the national debt exceeds 1,200 trillion yen. Second, the improvement of Japan's defense capabilities will inevitably require greater autonomy, which is controlled by the US. Third, China and Japan are close neighbors that cannot be moved apart. Whether it is worthwhile for Japan to act as a "pawn" for the US to contain China's rise at the cost of endangering China-Japan relations is a question that needs to be carefully weighed.
当然，日本自卫队雄心勃勃的扩张计划并非没有阻力。首先，大幅度增加防卫费对日本经济是巨大冲击，日本政府意欲“防卫增税”已经激发民间反弹。日本《京都新闻》发表社论认为：在国家债务超过1200万亿日元的情况下，政府在军备扩张方面表现出的姿态令人感到危险；其次，日本防卫能力的提升必然要求更大的自主性，这取决于美国在多大程度上愿意“放虎归山”；第三，中日是搬不走的近邻，以危害中日关系为代价充当美国遏制中国崛起的“马前卒”对日本是否值当，是一个需要仔细权衡的问题。
(The author is from the School of Information and Communication, PLA National University of Defense Technology.)
（作者单位：国防科技大学信息通信学院）
Editor's note: Originally published on zqb.cyol.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
