Japan's 2010 National Defense Program Guidelines: Coping with the Grey Zones
Abstract
The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS) is a regional study, conference and research center under the U.S. Department of Defense. Established on Sept. 4, 1995, APCSS supports the U.S. Pacific Command s goals of enhancing cooperation and building international relationships through study and mutual understanding of comprehensive security issues among military and civilian representatives of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This and other APCSS publications further these goals by contributing to the region s discourse on security, providing an intellectual resource for policy-makers, analysts and scholars. The new National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG) announced by Japan on 17 December, 2010 have ushered in a number of significant, if incremental, changes in Japanese defense policy, force structure and decisionmaking processes, as policymakers in Tokyo grow increasingly wary of Chinese military development and maritime expansion in the disputed waters of the East China Sea. Beyond China s general military buildup, the new NDPG indicates that China is stepping up and expanding maritime activities in the region s surrounding waters, and these activities, coupled with the lack of transparency shrouding China s military and security aims are of concern to the regional and global community. While the new NDPG addresses a wide range of security challenges facing Japan, including the continuing destabilizing influence of North Korea and new concerns about cyber attacks, the core of this document focuses upon increasing Japan s ability to cope with what are described as gray zone conflicts that arise from disputes over territory, sovereignty and economic interests . The 2010 defense guidelines continue a trend begun in the previous NDPG, shifting the focus of Japan s Self Defense Forces (JSDF) from northern defense in Hokkaido toward the island chains that extend far to the south and closer to Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA560105
Entities
People
- David Fouse
Organizations
- Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies