Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders'

What does the release of Japan’s 2014 Defense White Paper say about the future of Sino-US-Japanese trilateral relations? Stephen Harner warns that Abe’s vision, as laid out in the White Paper, is not a path towards stability in the Asia-Pacific.

No matter how hard Japan tries to dress up the war as a valiant battle against colonial powers the truth of its aggression will not be denied, writes Cai Hong.

Marking the 60th Anniversary of Japan’s self-defense forces, the recent release of the Japanese Ministry of Defense’s 2014 White Paper reviews Japan’s military over the past six decades and outlines a new blueprint to help the nation create a military superpower.

Prime Minister Abe’s reinterpretation of the Peace Constitution is partially the result of US pressure for Japan to contribute more to the alliance. Although, a more nuanced explanation is Abe’s realization that the United States would likely not risk war with China over territorial disputes and so he has taken the first step towards an independent defense posture for Japan.

On July 1, Abe’s government lifted a constitutional ban on collective self-defense. The US, initially indifferent to this development, later expressed its support, despite strong rhetoric condemning Japanese aggression and behavior during WWII. It is necessary for China to properly develop its relationship with the U.S. in order to prevent Japan from further deviating from a peaceful path.

In the wake of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue, Ted Galen Carpenter assess the speech and subsequently delineates three measures that are critical to Shinzo Abe’s new policy declaration.

As the Abe administration aims to build up Japan’s military, Jin Ying urges the public to pay attention to the changes and be wary of the consequences if Japan continues this rapid militarization.

Sino-Japanese relations have been strained due to confrontations regarding the Diaoyu Islands and state visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese leaders. In order to mitigate these tensions, it is imperative that the Chinese government adjusts its official policies in order to shift the international perception of Japan in their favor.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the political support of right wing conservative forces, is seeking to amend Article 9 of the Constitution, which stipulates that Japan is no longer able to maintain a standing army, navy and air force, and forfeits all rights to belligerency.