Defense White Paper Highlights Concern on China
The Ministry of Defense released 2025 version of defense white paper on July 15. The paper expressed serious concern on China’s obscure development of military capability, which may pose insecurity to Asia-Pacific region. The report emphasizes necessity for enhancement of defense capability of Japan and security cooperation with its allies and like-minded countries in Asia.
The white paper analyzes that China has been rapidly enhancing its military capability, in both terms of quality and quantity, for these thirty years. It was mainly about nuclear and missile capability in air or maritime theater, endorsed by consecutive financial support lacking transparency. “It accelerates attempts for unilateral change of status quo by force or coercion in East and South China Sea, including violation of Japan’s territory around Senkaku Islands,” describes the white paper.
The paper noted violation of Japan’s territorial air in Danjo Islands, Nagasaki, in August 2024 and cruising of an aircraft carrier, Liaoning, in contiguous waters between the islands of Yonaguni and Iriomote in September 2024. In June 2025, it was confirmed that a Chinese fighter jet, installed on Chinese aircraft carrier, Shandong, made unusually close approachto Japan’s aircraft above the high sea of the Pacific Ocean. “It is a situation in which China’s activities can affect safety of Japan and it imposes a great concern,” says the white paper.
China’s actions toward Taiwan are another anxiety for Japan. “It is possible that China has been exercising a part of military operation for unification of Taiwan, including an operation of invading Taiwan, as seen in military drills around Taiwan,” the paper assumes. The white paper raised examples of China’s activities, such as the first exercise of Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) in eastern waters of Taiwan in May 2024 and cruising around Taiwan Island by CCG in October 2024.
The white paper also analyzes missile capability of North Korea. It supposes that North Korea has a capability of striking Japan with ballistic missiles, such as the Nodong or the Scud ER which include Japan within its range, with technological development of minimizing warheads loadable onto the missiles. “It has become further significant and urgent threat for security of Japan,” concludes the white paper.
The white paper describes Russia as a great concern for security of Japan in the context of military cooperation with China. It noted going around the main islands of Japan by Russian patrol aircrafts and violation by a Russian aircraft of Japan’s territorial air in the north of Rebun Island, Hokkaido, in September 2024. The paper touches on military cooperation between Russia and China, quoting some joint operation by fighter jets around Japan.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba emphasizes necessity of improving treatment for the personnel with Japan Self-defense Force (JSDF). The white paper stresses engagement for raising salaries of JSDF members and its reserves. It also picks up establishment of Joint Operations Command in the JSDF as a major topic of this year. However, it is not clear whether those improvements can satisfy demands for increasing defense budget by the United States.
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