China’s Rise = Remilitarizing Japan? -- John Hemmings, The DiplomatLast year was a bad one for China’s soft power. Will Japan’s response prompt a dangerous spiral of arms spending—and spark conflict?
Saying publicly for the first time what they’ve thought privately for years, Japanese defence planners in December announced a new defence posture that fingered China’s military rise as justification for a new, more proactive approach, including a refocusing of forces from Japan’s north to its southernmost islands.
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My Comment: I cannot see how an Asian arms race cannot be avoided. The Chinese have embarked on a very aggressive military expansion, and their foreign policy is becoming an echo of this growing military strength. China's neighbors are not being quiet about this expansion, and are themselves now embarking on an expansion of their own defense ministries as well as searching for alliances with other countries who are concerned about China's rise. Throw in North Korea, Chinese - Indian tensions on the border, and a decline in U.S. power and influence .... all the ingredients are now in place for a major arms buildup in the region.