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Shinzo Abe (right) in parliament yesterday. Photo: AFP

China expert says Japan’s law changes mean more opportunities for war

Chinese expert fears for region after Abe wins parliamentary vote on controversial bill

Sino-Japanese relations will be harmed and the chances of war in Asia will increase now that a controversial security bill that could see Japanese troops fighting abroad for the first time in 70 years has been backed by the powerful lower house of parliament in Tokyo, a Chinese expert says.

Yesterday's vote, which opponents say undermines 70 years of pacifism, marked a victory for nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has ignored popular anger in a bid to break what he sees as the shackles of the US-imposed constitution.

Opportunities for war in Asia will increase when the bill is passed
ZHOU YONGSHENG, JAPAN EXPERT

Abe and right-wingers say restrictive clauses preventing Japan from having a fully fledged military serve as a straightjacket that stops Tokyo protecting its citizens, allies and friends. The bill will allow Japan's military to take part in non-United Nations peacekeeping missions. It is expected to be passed in the upper chamber, where Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner have a majority.

The vote came on the same day one of Abe's most trusted aides, Shotaro Yachi, held talks with China's top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, in a move that could set the stage for another meeting between their leaders in September. Yang described the vote as "unprecedented", saying it raised concerns over whether Japan would "abolish its pacifist posture."

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at an event aimed at boosting Sino-Japanese bilateral exchanges in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on May 23, 2015. Photo: Kyodo
Zhou Yongsheng, a Japanese affairs expert at China Foreign Affairs University, stressed the bill would harm Sino-Japanese ties and the long-term stability of Northeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. "Opportunities for war in Asia will increase when the bill is passed. China should enhance its crisis awareness by strengthening its comprehensive capabilities, not only military might, but also economic, political and diplomatic powers," he said.

Beijing criticised the vote and questioned if Japan was "going to give up its exclusively defence-oriented policy". Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said any changes to Japan's defence policies must not affect regional stability, and Tokyo must "respect the major security concerns of its Asian neighbours".

Abe's ruling coalition voted alone after opposition parties walked out in protest. "The security situation surrounding Japan is increasingly severe," Abe said after the vote, in an apparent reference to the rise of China.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Changes to Japan's laws seen raising risk of war
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