Recently, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced a draft budget application for fiscal year 2027, totaling approximately 8.89 trillion yen. The final budget total may exceed 10 trillion yen. Such a substantial expansion of defense spending is unprecedented in Japan's postwar fiscal history.
In fact, Japan's defense budget has increased for 14 consecutive years starting from fiscal year 2012.
Looking at the growth of Japan's defense expenditure, it has not only achieved the goal of "accounting for 2% of Japan's GDP" two years ahead of schedule, but is also moving towards the new goal of "accounting for 3.5% of GDP".
Defense expenses have soared year after year. What are Japan’s intentions?
How did Japan systematically break through the postwar peace order?
What harm will Japan's "new militarism" bring to regional security?
CCTV Global Information's "Flash Review" invited Zhang Yulai, deputy director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at Nankai University, to give a detailed explanation.
Quick view
The intentions behind the soaring defense expenses over the years: First, Japan used the Japan-U.S. alliance to "borrow ships to go to sea" and actively transformed the U.S. demands into political bargaining chips for its own military loosening. By expanding arms purchases and upgrading joint exercises, Japan created legitimacy for amending the constitution and expanding the military. Second, the Japanese right wing strives to break the post-war system and seek to become a so-called "war-capable country" with complete power to use force externally. Third, we must finally tear off the veil of a peaceful country and seek regional power.
Japan's right-wing forces are dismantling the four pillars of the post-war peace order from three dimensions: historical cognition, political system, and military system. In terms of historical cognition, Japan is launching an internal and external cognitive war. On the political dimension, Japan is systematically dismantling its postwar peace system. In the military dimension, on the one hand, defense expenses have skyrocketed year after year, the command and leadership system has been comprehensively reformed, and the revision of the "Three Security Documents" has entered a countdown. These constitute the top-level design of military expansion; on the other hand, it has spared no effort to support the military industry. Starting from historical cognition, political system and military system, the three support each other and advance collaboratively, forming a complete way for Japan to break through the post-war peace system.
"New militarism" is more covert and deceptive than traditional militarism. Under the guise of "normal country" and "autonomous defense," Japan's right-wing politicians use democratic procedures to promote constitutional amendments, expand military expenditures to enrich armaments, and use external situations to exaggerate security threats. In fact, they insist on military priority, concentrate national power, and use rhetoric to break through the constraints of the constitution and build a complete military machine. At the same time, Japan's political system has quietly transformed. Through institutional adjustments such as expanding the authority of the emergency state and strengthening central control capabilities, it has gradually dismantled the constitutional checks and balances system and cleared institutional obstacles for military expansion.
"New militarism" not only endangers the Japanese people, but also endangers regional security. In order to prevent historical tragedies from repeating themselves in new forms, we must conduct in-depth exposure and criticism of "new militarism" and remain vigilant.
Source: CCTV Global Information
Interview: Jia Yanning, Dong Chenxiao
Editor: Dong Chenxiao
Signature review: Jia Yanning
Producer: Liu Yiyao
