The Self-Defense Forces of Japan has traversed a course of 50 years this July. On July 1, 1954, Japan changed its security team and garrison team respectively into the Ground Self-Defense Force and the Maritime Self-Defense Force, and set up its Air Self-Defense Force, formally establishing the country's ground, sea and air armed services in the name of Self-Defense Forces (SDF). After 50 years the SDF has evolved into a modern army of picked troops, advanced equipment and good training. Since the end of the Cold War, along with the acceleration of the pace of Japan's political Right deviation, the country's security policy and the nature and functions of its SDF have all undergone astonishing changes, which has aroused doubts and anxiety among its neighbors and the broad masses of peace-loving people. The future development trend of the SDF has attracted wide attention from the people in general.

Change in role

In May 1957, the Japanese government published the "Basic Principles for National Defense" (hereinafter referred to as "Principles" for short), specifying the aim of national defense and the responsibilities of the self-defense forces. The "Principles" stipulate: "The aim of national defense is to take preventive measures against direct or indirect aggression, which will be repulsed once it occurred, so as to defend our country's democracy-based independence and peace." The responsibilities of the SDF are also clearly defined, which can be summed up as the five major tasks��defense, security, maritime guard, prevention of violation of territorial air space and disaster relief. The activities of the SDF were carried out basically within the scope, as a result some people say jokingly that the history of the SDF is a history of disaster relief.

After the Cold War, the Japanese authority, actuated by the need for implementing the strategy of a "normal country" (i.e., a "political power"), completed the strategic transformation of its defense policy and the evolution of the SDF under the excuse of coping with so-called "multiple threat" and "new threat", by means of adjusting and strengthening "Japan-US security cooperation", and through the use of such techniques as reinterpreting the Constitution, speeding up defense legislation and the adoption of "ambiguous strategy". In June 1992, after the outbreak of the Gulf War, the Diet passed the PKO Law, or the law on cooperation with UN peace-keeping actions, which broke the taboo that "it is not allowed to dispatch troops overseas". In August 1999, the Diet formulated the "Law on the Situation in Surrounding Areas", under which the SDF can expand the scope of its activities to the so-called Japan's "surrounding areas" which cover Chinese territory Taiwan. In October 2001, shortly after the eruption of the "September 11" incident, the Diet promptly passed the government-proposed "law on special anti-terrorism measures", "amendment to the law on the SDF" and "amendment to the law on security agency at sea", enactment of these laws means to further expand the area for Japan's dispatch of troops overseas, sets a precedent for dispatching the SDF at wartime and widens the scope for the use of weapons by the SDF. Working in coordination with US dispatch of troops to Iraq, in July 2003 the Diet formulated a "law on special measures for assistance to Iraq in its reconstruction", according to this law, the SDF, under the circumstance without UN authorization and invitation from the country concerned, moved to Iraq where the flames of war were still raging. On May 20 this year, the House of Representatives of Japan passed seven bills related to "emergency legislation", including the "law on the protection of nationals" and the "law on limiting foreign military supplies marine transportation", documents submitted by the government. This is an important supplement to the three emergency bills Japan adopted last year. Thus far, Japan has basically established its system of "emergency laws" aimed to guard against contingencies.

Through implementation of these laws, Japan's SDF has actually shifted ahead the time for its use of force from the previous "after being invaded by the enemy" to "being threatened by the enemy", and allowed itself the right to mount "pre-emptive strike" on the enemy. At the same time, the SDF's operation area has been expanded from its own territory to "surrounding areas" and then to farther regions. Public opinion believes this is to make the peace Constitution impracticable.

Pursuing successive breakthroughs

What does Japan want to do? What's the SDF's next target? On July 6 this year, the Japanese cabinet meeting approved the 2004 White Paper on Defense, which reflected some new trends of policy adjustment of the Defense Agency. The "White Paper" stressed that participation in "international activities" should be listed as a basic task of the SDF. To form a system under which the SDF can quickly carry out international activities, the "White Paper" explicitly put forward the following two points:

First, keeping the onshore SDF as special troops; second, the establishment of escort vessels of the offshore SDF should be flexible. .

Joining the "coalition forces" to seek a breakthrough in the exercise of "collective self-defense right". The White Paper repeatedly stressed the significance of Japan's dispatch of troops to Iraq, preaching that such action is reasonable whether viewed from Japan's duty and national interests, or from the idea as expressed in the Forewords of the Constitution. Its intention is crystal clear��to tell people that the SDF will from now on take part in more and more US-led "coalition forces'" activities. According to Japan's Constitution, it is impossible for it to extend assistance when the friendly armies are under attack and it is thus hard to win the friendly armies' understanding and trust. Therefore, it is imperative to revise or reinterpret the Constitution so to break down the restriction on the exercise of the "collective defense right".

By People's Daily Online