After Abe was assassinated, his efforts to "revise the pacifist constitution" during his lifetime attracted the attention of international public opinion. In this regard, some media warned the Kishida Fumio government "not to open the magic box of constitutional amendments," but the " Washington Post " publicly expressed support for "the legalization of Japan's military."
Abe’s assassination coincided with Japan’s Senate election. This assassination also allowed the "constitutional revision" forces led by the Liberal Democratic Party (the Liberal Democratic Party, the Komeito Party, the Japan Reform Association, and the National Democratic Party) to gain more than two-thirds of the seats in the election, surpassing the that initiated the "constitutional revision" The threshold of Article 96 of the Japanese Constitution . Previously, Fumio Kishida has publicly stated that it is necessary to promote the "constitutional revision" issue, especially the four issues including "the inclusion of the Self-Defense Forces in the constitution" (the other three are emergency provisions, adjustment of Senate constituencies, and enrichment of the educational environment) , will initiate discussion in Congress.
The "Washington Post" pointed out in an editorial on the 11th that as Japan's longest-serving prime minister after the war, Shinzo Abe's mission in his political career is to "protect Japan and its democracy." Even after resigning as prime minister, Abe is still the most powerful leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. In order to "protect Japan's post-war development," Abe proposed internally "Abenomics" to stimulate economic growth and modernize Japan's military power, and externally proposed an Indo-Pacific strategy that unites the United States, India, and Australia, "China Post" It is believed that "Abe correctly observed the need to counter the rise of China (and its possible threat to Taiwan) and North Korea's nuclear weapons."
Regarding the topic of "Enter the Self-Defense Forces into the Constitution," the China Post pointed out that when Shinzo Abe was unfortunately assassinated, neither he nor his successors were able to complete Abe's set goals. "The China Post" believes that the restrictions on the "power of war" in Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution are an outdated legal ambiguity, because although Japan declares in the constitution that it will "never wage war" and "never maintain land, sea and air force", But in fact, Japan has an annual defense budget of US$50 billion and maintains a "Self-Defense Force" with 250,000 troops.
The Washington Post advocated in an editorial that "the United States and other democratic countries should support the legalization of democratic Japan's military capabilities." The reason is that Japan in the 21st century is a "trustworthy" member of the international community. In After Ukraine's was "invaded by the Russian army", Japan's contribution to global security became even more important. As for "constitutional amendments" such as "incorporating the Self-Defense Forces into the Constitution", they only "legitimize" Japan's current reality and reduce Japan's burden on collective security - which also includes "defending Taiwan", rather than allowing Japan to re- resort to war.
"The Washington Post" lamented at the end of this editorial that "Abe left too early" and hoped that "his impact on Japan and even the world should not be forgotten."
comments: Japan's pacifist constitution is an important cornerstone of lasting peace in East Asia. If the "Self-Defense Forces" are included in the constitution, it will be a highly destructive indicator, which is equivalent to sending a message that Japan denies post-war arrangements and denies the path of peaceful development. danger signal. Although the United States is still wary of Japan's capabilities and ambitions, in order to achieve strategic goals such as using Japan to maintain "Indo-Pacific hegemony" and contain China, there is a powerful force in the country that "lets the sun out of its cage."
The "Washington Post" so-called supports "the legalization of Japan's military capabilities" and specifically mentioned that this is a practical need to "defend Taiwan" and reduce the "burden of joint defense", which shows the desire of some people in the United States to incite Japan to interfere in China's internal affairs. And use this as a transaction condition to support the "incorporation of the Self-Defense Forces into the constitution". If the United States condones or even supports Japan in opening the "Magic Box of Constitutional Amendment", it will pose endless threats to the peace and stability of East Asia, and the United States will not be able to avoid it alone.
Although Abe followed suit with the United States during his lifetime, the deepest sense of humiliation hidden in Abe’s heart actually did not originate from China, but from the United States.
Some media pointed out that for Japan's far-right , anti-China is just a superficial gesture, and anti-US is an unspoken desire and taboo; anti-China is only a phased task, and anti-US is the ultimate goal. Judging from the current situation, Kishida's biggest political legacy from Abe is to promote Japan's "constitutional amendment" and restore Japan to a "normal country." But the first thing the "constitutional amendment" touches is not the contradiction between China and Japan or China and Russia, but the contradiction between the United States and Japan.
The "Washington Post" can freely support Japan's "constitutional amendment", but the Biden administration should think carefully and not be blinded by "anti-China impulse" and political interests, which will eventually backfire on itself.
