None of fact that Japan expanding armaments
A part of a special interview by "現代ビジネス（Gendai Business）" with Kevin.K.Maher, ex-head of the Political a nd Military Section of the US embassy of Japan, ex-Consul General in Okinawa, ex-director of the Office of Japan Affairs at the Department of State.
"Japan is trying to build herarsenals ", "Japan trends toward militarism as she was before the war " We Japanese are always surprised every time we hear this kind of rumors. This interview will inform you of the present state of Japanese military situation correctly.
Mr. Kevin. K. Maher knows enough about the military relations between Japan and the US, because he is the man who has seen so much of them in Japan through his long government posts.
"The US looks clash between Japan and China as follows"
covered and written by Makiko iizuka.
There is none of a fact that Japan is expanding armaments
Q. Japan remain opposed against China and S.Korea not to hold a summit meeting with each other. How the US see this situations?
A. (Kevin Maher, ex-director of the Japan Affairs office at the Department of State)
Maybe the Us would not expect the situation could improve easily if the three countries held a summit, but it will be better for the US that the trilateral summit hold.
Don't blame Abe government if the summit meeting doesn't hold. The trouble is that China and S.Korea impose conditions onholding it, though Prime Minister Abe is saying that he is always prepared to sit down with them. China says that it is never going to do it until Japan accepts the Senkaku Islands as disputed region, and S.Korea set conditions on history issue between Japan and Korea, too. I guess the US government would understand the situation.
I don't think Japan should discus the history issues between the three. In that respect, it was fair to say that Abe could have handled them sensitively.Because he gives approvals of KOUNO's and MURAYAMA's discourses without any change. And yet the S.Korean government makes a strange marks that they will not hold a summit until Japanshare a right understanding of history.
Furthermore, I don't think Japan is hoisting flag militarism or is trying to rearm itself at all. this is an incorrectly interpreting of them. China would not want Japan to improve its defenses because it could prevent China from establishing its supremacy in the East China Sea. But Japan would rather interfere in such China's behaviors. Both the US and Japan should not take appeasement policies toward China. The two countries need to upgrade their defense and deterrent power together within the framework of the Japan-U.S. Security Arrangementsso that they may cope with the threat from China.
Therefore, it was a good trend to see that Japan reviewed its Basic Defense Program and Mid-Term Defense Programat the end of the year. But I still didn't think it increased military expenditures in full measure because it has decreased its defense budget for 11 consecutive years since 2001.Last year Japan only just increased it by 2.8% for the first time in 11years.
The fiscal 2014 budget request for defense is up 2.2% from the previous year's. but 2% of them will be provide for the recovery of the government service salaries that have reduced for the past two years. As a result the defense budget of Japan in 2014 is only a 2% up over the previous year. This is still not be enough.
Also, even though Japan would increase its defense budget according to Mid-Term Defense Program in the next 5years, it could even equal the budget for 2003 at long last. After all, it has long been reducing for years. So, no one can really say that Japan is expanding its armaments. Despite this the media blow them all out of proportion, but there is none of the fact that Japan is expanding armaments.
（written and translated by a member of OFJ ”Objections from Japan”）
特別インタビュー ケヴィン･メア元国務省日本部長
「アメリカは日中激突をこう見ている」 【後編】
