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‘Today’s Ukraine could be East Asia tomorrow’: Japanese PM warns

#Todays #Ukraine #East #Asia #tomorrow #Japanese #warns

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned at a security summit on Friday that “Ukraine could be East Asia this morning” amid growing concerns that China could invade democratic, self-governing Taiwan.

US officials have said they believe China is closely monitoring the progress of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to assess its own plans regarding Taiwan.

Tensions have been rising over the island, which Beijing regards as its territory and has vowed to one day take it, by force if necessary.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue Security Summit in Singapore, Kishida said that while Japan is a peace-loving nation, the changing regional and global security landscape has prompted Tokyo to reassess its own defense position.

“In light of Russian aggression against Ukraine, the security perceptions of countries around the world have changed drastically,” he said in a keynote address to defense ministers, senior military officials and analysts attending the summit.

He cited Germany, which has changed its security policy by raising its defense budget to 2 percent of gross domestic product, and Finland and Sweden, which have abandoned their traditional neutrality to push for NATO membership.

“I myself have a strong sense of urgency that Ukraine could be East Asia this morning,” said Kishida, whose country has joined Western-led sanctions on Russia.

As prime minister, Kishida said he had a responsibility to “protect the life and property of the Japanese people” while contributing to peace and security in the region.

However, he warned that the world “must be prepared for the emergence of a unity that tramples on the peace and security of other countries by force or threat without respecting the rules”.

Kishida called for the maintenance of the “rules-based international order,” which appeared to be a veiled reference to China’s growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.

To protect itself, Japan needs to “improve our deterrence and response capabilities,” he said, adding that his government will finalize a new national security strategy by the end of this year.

Kishida’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has set longer-term policy goals, including expanding Japan’s defense budget to over 2 percent of GDP, a ratio that would put it on par with members of NATO.

That would mean a departure from Japan’s political tradition of limiting defense spending to below 1 percent of GDP, which amounts to around $5 trillion.

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