Japan-Vietnam summit meeting with Japanese media: the two countries will join forces to contain the CCP’s influence in ASEAN
[Epoch Times November 25, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Chen Yilian comprehensive report) According to media reports, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held talks with visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Fan Myung Jung on November 24, which strengthened the relationship between the two countries. Will join forces to contain the CCP’s influence in ASEAN. In addition, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force frigate implemented “weapons and other protection” on Australian naval vessels based on Japan’s security guarantee laws, highlighting the rapid heating up of the military relations between Japan and Australia. The Japanese government has adjusted the defense-related expenses of the 2021 supplementary budget, so that the total annual defense expenses will exceed 6 trillion yen, reaching the highest value in history.
Japan-Vietnam summit to join forces to contain CCP’s influence in ASEAN
According to a report from Kyodo News on the 24th, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held talks with visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Fan Myung Jung on the same day. The two sides reached an agreement on deepening bilateral relations and advancing the implementation of a “free and open Indo-Pacific”. This is the first time that Fumio Kishida has welcomed a foreign leader in Japan since he took office as prime minister.
The Japanese and Vietnamese governments issued a joint statement after the summit meeting. The leaders of the two countries expressed serious concerns about the situation in the South China Sea, confirmed the importance of freedom of navigation and peaceful settlement of disputes, and emphasized that relevant countries should not adopt militarization and change the status quo. The unilateral action is very important.
Regarding the “Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement” (CPTPP) that China is applying to join, the two sides agreed to maintain the high standard entry threshold of the agreement.
The Japanese media paid close attention to this Japan-Vietnam summit meeting.
“Sankei Shimbun” analyzed that for Japan, ASEAN is the key to the realization of the “free and open Indo-Pacific” concept, and Vietnam, as a member of ASEAN, and Japan are partners that share broad strategic interests. Vietnam is facing the “pressure of China to establish military bases in the South China Sea and the sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea”, so Vietnam and Japan have a “common problem awareness.”
According to the Nikkei, Cambodia, which has a close relationship with China, will become the rotating chairman of ASEAN in 2022, which may increase the CCP’s influence on ASEAN. Therefore, Japan’s strengthening of relations with Vietnam is also to join forces with Vietnam to contain the CCP’s influence in ASEAN.
According to Japanese media reports, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force frigate “Inazuma” provided “weapon and other protection” to the Australian navy frigate “Varamonga” during the joint maritime training between Japan and Australia. This is the first time that Japan has implemented “weapon and other protection” against the armed forces of a country other than the US military, highlighting the rapid heating up of military relations between Japan and Australia.
“Weapons and other protection” refers to the act of providing protection for ships and aircrafts of other countries in peacetime. It is understood that “weapon and other protection” could only be used when the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are attacked. In 2016, when the Abe Cabinet revised the security bill, it expanded its target to the military of other countries. In 2017, Japan formally provided “weapon and other protection” to the U.S. warships and aircraft.
In October 2020, when Japan and Australia signed the “Status of Visiting Forces Agreement” negotiations, they negotiated and reached an agreement on the implementation of “weapon and other protection” by the Self-Defense Forces against the Australian military.
In June 2021, at the “2+2” meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense of Japan and Australia, it was reconfirmed that Japan included the Australian Army in the list of “weapons and other protection” targets.
Japan again lists high defense supplementary budget
The Japanese government has adjusted the defense-related expenses of the 2021 supplementary budget, and will set up an additional cost of 770 billion yen. It is estimated that the total defense expenditure in 2021 will exceed 6 trillion yen, reaching the highest value in history.
The supplementary budget was originally a revised budget used to increase or decrease the budget in response to disasters or economic downturns, and generally does not involve the field of defense. Since the second cabinet of the former Prime Minister Abe, the supplementary budget has been extended to the defense field. It will not be included in the annual regular budget or it is not convenient, and it will not even be included in the next year’s regular budget. It will be realized by means of a mid-year supplementary budget. .
According to Kyodo News, the supplementary budget will include the procurement costs of missiles, mines, torpedoes, anti-submarine patrol aircraft, transport aircraft and other weapons and equipment in the 2022 budget in advance, as well as related expenses for the US military in Japan. Among them, the procurement budget for missiles and other ammunition included in the 2022 regular budget is 250 billion yen.
It is reported that Japan’s reason for increasing its defense supplementary budget this time is to step up the defense and missile response capabilities of the Southwest Islands in the context of the deteriorating surrounding security environment. @
Editor in charge: Shao Yi
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