China is harping relentlessly about the resurgence of Japanese “militarism” – but almost no one in the Asia-Pacific region is listening – or believing it.
The more China shames and warns of a dangerous Japan, the more ridiculous it looks, and the better Japan looks in comparison.
Make no mistake, Japan caused a lot of misery in the region during the 1930s and 1940s. But World War II ended 81 years ago, and today’s democratic, consensually governed Japan is a different country.
This has been clear for a long time. Even in 1990, when US Marine General Hank Stackpole DESCRIBED American forces in Japan as the “cork in the bottle” holding Japanese militarism in check, the idea seemed outdated.
Japan is popular in much of Asia and has been for decades. Japanese investment and economic aid are welcomed throughout Asia, and Japan’s role in regional security is now widely taken for granted.
But the idea that Japan is afraid of the region because of World War II still persists, especially among sections of the Western foreign policy commentary. So it’s worth taking a closer look.
INDIA: 1.4 billion Indians have a soft spot for Japan. Tokyo is seen as having helped achieve India’s independence through its support for the Indian nationalist movement before and during World War II. Trade links are extensive and bilateral protection bonds are expanding.
Philippines: Japan has been a large and welcome investor and aid provider for years. And essential protection bonds have increased over the past decade, with the Japanese ground forces committing combat training during this year’s Balikatan training.
Taiwan: There are good feelings towards Japan, and the colonial era from 1895-1945, when Japan controlled Formosa, is not a sore point. Taiwan’s elected government would like even better ties with Japan, including a security relationship.
Singapore: The Japanese occupation from 1942-1945 was brutal and not forgotten, but Singapore and Japan today have excellent relations. It is clear that the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong DECLARING that Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries support Japan in playing a greater regional role, including on the security front.
Malaysia: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently met Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and confirmed their “comprehensive strategic partnership” and specifically mentioned enhanced defense ties. Japan and Malaysia are currently discussing transfer of retired Special Maritime Defense Force vessels to Malaysia.
Indonesia: In addition to being a major investor in Indonesia, Japan is seen to have helped free Indonesia from Dutch colonial rule. The two nations cooperate on defense and are discussing transferring retired Japanese Asagiri-class destroyers for the Indonesian Navy.
Vietnam: There are strong economic ties, along with the Japan Coast Guard SUPPORTING for the Vietnam Coast Guard. And like Indonesia, Vietnam credits Japan with a role in achieving Vietnamese independence from colonial France.
Thailand: A center of Japanese commercial activity in the region for decades, ties are strong, including the royal families of the two nations. Japan has also quietly built a prominent one defense relations with Thailand.
Australia: Beyond longstanding economic and political ties, Canberra recently signed a deal to buy Japanese Mogami-class destroyers, and defense ties have deepened in both directions over the past 15 years. Australia has every reason to resent Japan’s cruel treatment of Australian prisoners of war in World War II, but it doesn’t.
Pacific Islands: From the Solomon Islands in Micronesia to the US territories of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, Japan is loved and valued for its development assistance and trade presence. Japan’s Self-Defense Forces’ periodic visits and training activities in the region are conducted with little fanfare – and without any opposition from the Pacific island nations.
However, despite this widespread respect and love for Japan, there are less favorable views of Japan and the Japanese.
South Korea: There is widespread domestic resentment towards Japan due to Japan’s colonial occupation, but there are limits. It has also been manipulated for political gain by leftist South Korean politicians.
Paradoxically, many Koreans like to visit Japan. The two nations have had reasonable defense ties in the past, and under the leftist Lee Jae Myung administration, the Japan Self-Defense Force and the ROK Navy recently performed search and rescue exercises together.
China: The Japanese in China from the 1930s onwards were often brutal. But the Chinese Communist Party, which killed at least 50 million of its people in peacetime and fair weather in the years after the Japanese left, was happy to accept Japan’s overseas development assistance (ODA) and welcomed Japanese investment and the technology that came with it.
While there is much deep-seated animosity toward Japan, it is only in the last 20 years that the CCP has aggressively stirred up historical resentment for political gain. This is done both for domestic purposes and to put Japan on its toes as it belatedly seeks to improve its defenses against an assertive China.
However, millions of Chinese visit Japan as tourists, and about a million Chinese now live there.
The cliché “Asia is afraid of Japan because of WWII” doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. And even if Japan implements its plans to strengthen its defenses, it would still be unable to project power to threaten its neighbors.
Indeed, it is ironic that while Beijing warns of Japanese militarism, it is China that has built a powerful military with regional and global ambitions despite facing no enemies. In fact, China seems intent on creating its own version of Japan’s Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere that led to war and misery in the 1930s and 1940s.
Apparently, after all, Beijing has learned from Japan’s history.
Grant Newsham is a retired US Navy officer and former US diplomat. He was the first Navy liaison officer to the Japan Self-Defense Force and is a fellow at the Center for Security Policy and the Yorktown Institute. He is the author of the book, “When China Strikes: A Warning to America.”
