The Japanese government plans to increase the country's military capabilities due to threats posed by China, russia, and North Korea. It notes that growing military coordination between China, russia, and North Korea is increasing security risks for Japan, according to the latest Defense White Paper published by Tokyo's Ministry of Defense, DS reports, citing Bloomberg.
The document states that increasingly provocative joint patrols by Chinese and russian bombers, as well as moscow's support for North Korea's military modernization, are causes for concern.
Japan's annual security review notes that in December of last year, Chinese and russian bombers flew toward Tokyo after passing over Japan's southern islands for the first time. China and russia flew their bombers along a similar route in June of this year.
"Joint flights by Chinese and russian bombers and joint naval exercises are clearly intended to demonstrate force against our country and pose a serious challenge to national security", - the review, published today, August 4, states.
Joint flights by Chinese and russian strategic bombers near Japan have taken place at least once a year since 2019, but these increasingly threatening exercises are occurring amid Beijing's attempts to pressure Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to retract statements she made in parliament last November regarding Taiwan.
"This indicates that China and Moscow are coordinating more closely in sending political signals through military exercises", - said Riho Aizawa, a research fellow at the National Institute for Defense Studies in Tokyo. "China and russia now have a relationship in which China can exert pressure on Japan with the backing of russian military power whenever it serves Beijing's political interests", - Aizawa noted.
This year, Japan's military has responded more frequently to combined aerial threats from China and moscow. Data released by Japan's Ministry of Defense in July showed that the number of sorties by Japanese fighter jets to monitor Chinese and russian aircraft flying near Japan reached a three-year high in the first quarter of this year.