After North Korea’s latest test, Japan is leaving all options on the table as it seeks to upgrade its own security posture. After North Korea\u2019s latest test, Japan is leaving all options on the table as it seeks to upgrade its own security posture.<\/b>
After North Korea\u2019s recent missile test off the Japanese coast, Tokyo is leaving all\u00a0options on the table as it seeks to upgrade its own security posture. Financial Times :
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has long faced opposition for for his remilitarization initiative and for stretching the limits of Japan\u2019s pacifist constitution, but the threat from Pyongyang could strengthen\u00a0his case. As the FT piece notes, there has been little public backlash against new calls for\u00a0a\u00a0first-strike capability, and according to the Wall Street Journal , the opposition Democratic Party is keeping an open mind, with one influential lawmaker saying it would be \u201cirresponsible\u201d to maintain the status quo.
Naturally, this is not good news for China, which is adamantly opposed to Japanese remilitarization. China\u2019s\u00a0bitter diplomatic spat with South Korea over THAAD is a recent reminder of how vociferously China opposes\u00a0any unfavorable change to the Asian security balance. The prospect of Japan acquiring THAAD,\u00a0much less a series of offensive capabilities designed to deter North Korea, is sure to raise hackles in Beijing.
Judging by\u00a0Trump\u2019s\u00a0antagonistic stance\u00a0toward China and North Korea, his support for the THAAD deployment in South Korea, and his\u00a0desire for allies to contribute more to their own security,\u00a0Trump\u00a0is likely to welcome Japan\u2019s proposals to beef up its defense. Will\u00a0Trump\u2019s hawkishness push Beijing into a defensive crouch, or force them to cooperate in reining in\u00a0Pyongyang? The early signs for cooperation\u00a0 not encouraging , but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson\u2019s Asia trip next week might\u00a0provide a clearer\u00a0indication of where things are going.<\/p>\n