PSULTENG PEOPLE’S THOUGHTS – The Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) took concrete action in strengthening military cooperation in the Southeast Asia region by launching two anti-ship missiles in a large-scale multinational joint exercise in the Philippines. In the annual exercise entitled Balikatan, two Type 88 surface-to-ship missiles belonging to the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force successfully hit and sank a former Philippine navy ship stationed about 75 kilometers off the coast of Paoay, Luzon Island.
This combat exercise involving around 140 Japanese personnel is an important highlight because it shows the increase in collective defense capabilities between Japan, the Philippines and the United States.
The presence of high-ranking state officials added strategic weight to this live-fire exercise, where the Minister of Defense of Japan, Shinjiro Koizumi, was present directly at the location along with the Minister of Defense of the Philippines, Gilberto Teodoro. Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also monitored the destruction of the target ship remotely from Manila.
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This step is seen as a strong message regarding the solidity of the defense partnership between the two countries in maintaining security stability in the waters which are currently a point of global attention.
However, the Japanese military’s move immediately drew sharp criticism from the Chinese government through an official statement by the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian. Beijing accuses right-wing forces in Japan of trying to accelerate remilitarization which is considered to threaten regional peace and stability.
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China considers that this action has repeatedly violated Japan’s exclusive defense policy and considers the act of launching missiles in Philippine waters to have exceeded the scope of self-defense that has been adhered to by Tokyo.***
Source: Kyodo News
