By Xu Yongzhi

徐永智

Japan officially released the Defense of Japan 2025 white paper on July 15, highlighting dangerous trends. It not only elaborates on measures to build a more combat-ready military and emphasizes joint exercises with foreign armed forces, but also hypes up the so-called "China threat" to justify loosening military restrictions, raising high vigilance and deep concern among Japan's Asian neighbors and the international community.

7月15日，日本正式發(fā)布2025年版《防衛(wèi)白皮書》，凸顯其危險(xiǎn)動向。新版《防衛(wèi)白皮書》不僅詳細(xì)闡述構(gòu)建“能戰(zhàn)機(jī)制”相關(guān)舉措、著重展示與外軍進(jìn)行聯(lián)合演訓(xùn)情況，還大肆渲染“中國威脅”，為其軍事松綁尋找借口，引發(fā)亞洲鄰國和國際社會的高度警惕和深切擔(dān)憂。

Building a combat-ready mechanism. The opening section of the Defense of Japan 2025 white paper introduces Japan's newly established Joint Operations Command, which was set up this March. Previously, the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) could only form smaller-scale multi-service joint units on a temporary basis according to mission needs. With the new command in place, Japan will now have a centralized authority to direct its ground, maritime, and air Self-Defense Forces, as well as its space and cyber capabilities during peacetime, and to rapidly adjust force posture and deploy troops flexibly in wartime according to the evolving situation to effectively conduct large-scale, multi-domain operations. It is worth noting that the US Forces Japan (USFJ), whose powers have expanded significantly since last year, will also set up a dedicated unit to work with this new Joint Operations Command, aiming to enhance the efficiency of US-Japan wartime decision-making and response capabilities.

構(gòu)建“能戰(zhàn)機(jī)制”。新版《防衛(wèi)白皮書》開篇就介紹了日本今年3月新組建的統(tǒng)合作戰(zhàn)司令部。此前，日本自衛(wèi)隊(duì)僅能臨時根據(jù)任務(wù)需求成立較小規(guī)模的多兵種聯(lián)合部隊(duì)。該司令部成立后，不僅將在平時一元化指揮陸、海、空自衛(wèi)隊(duì)以及外空、網(wǎng)絡(luò)戰(zhàn)力，還能在戰(zhàn)時根據(jù)情勢變化迅速構(gòu)建靈活的軍事態(tài)勢、根據(jù)作戰(zhàn)全局安排兵力，以有效地開展大規(guī)?？缬蜃鲬?zhàn)。值得關(guān)注的是，去年以來大幅擴(kuò)權(quán)的駐日美軍司令部，也將成立專司與統(tǒng)合作戰(zhàn)司令部合作的部門，以提高美日兩軍戰(zhàn)時高效決策和應(yīng)對能力。

In addition, the Defense of Japan 2025 white paper devotes substantial space to Japan's plans to accelerate the development of offensive weapons. In fiscal year 2025, Japan plans to deploy an upgraded land-based version of the Type 12 anti-ship missile with a range of about 1,000 kilometers, and will begin mass production of its ship-launched variant and a new submarine-launched missile. Production of hypersonic glide vehicles will continue, alongside imports of Tomahawk cruise missiles, JASSM-ER air-launched cruise missiles, and Joint Strike Missiles (JSM). Planning to equip so many types of weapons within such a short timeframe reveals Japan's ambition to develop long-range strike capabilities.

此外，新版《防衛(wèi)白皮書》還以相當(dāng)篇幅介紹了日本加快發(fā)展進(jìn)攻性武器的計(jì)劃。2025財(cái)年，日本將部署射程約1000公里的改進(jìn)型12式反艦導(dǎo)彈（陸基型），并開始量產(chǎn)該導(dǎo)彈的海基型和新型潛射導(dǎo)彈，繼續(xù)生產(chǎn)超高速滑翔彈，進(jìn)口“戰(zhàn)斧”巡航導(dǎo)彈、JASSM-ER空射巡航導(dǎo)彈和JSM聯(lián)合打擊導(dǎo)彈等。在短期內(nèi)計(jì)劃裝備如此多種武器，不難看出日本發(fā)展遠(yuǎn)程攻擊作戰(zhàn)能力的野心。

Pursuing flexible deterrence. Unlike previous editions, the Defense of Japan 2025 white paper devotes significantly more space to detailing the JSDF's joint exercises with foreign militaries during fiscal year 2024. For example, in June and November 2024, Japan, the US and the ROK held trilateral multi-domain military exercises codenamed Freedom Edge twice, covering maritime missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, air defense operations, maritime interception, and cyber defense. In December of the same year, Japan, the US and Australia conducted the large-scale Yama Sakura 87 command post exercise, which focused on island defense operations... By highlighting these joint exercises, Japan aims to signal that the "Japan-US+X" multilateral security cooperation framework remains fully operational and that Tokyo will continue strengthening military ties with like-minded countries to pursue what it calls flexible deterrence against perceived strategic rivals.

謀求“靈活威懾”。與以往不同的是，新版《防衛(wèi)白皮書》用更多篇幅介紹了2024財(cái)年日本自衛(wèi)隊(duì)與外軍的聯(lián)合演訓(xùn)情況。比如，2024年6月和11月，日美韓兩次舉行“自由之刃”聯(lián)合多域演習(xí)，演練內(nèi)容涵蓋海上反導(dǎo)、反潛作戰(zhàn)、防空作戰(zhàn)、海上攔截、網(wǎng)絡(luò)防御等；同年12月，日美澳開展“山櫻87”大規(guī)模指揮所演習(xí)，演習(xí)內(nèi)容為“島嶼防衛(wèi)作戰(zhàn)”……日本突出展示這些聯(lián)合軍演，意在對外展示“日美+X”多邊軍事合作機(jī)制仍在正常運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)，而且未來將繼續(xù)強(qiáng)化與“志同道合國”的軍事合作，以謀求對所謂戰(zhàn)略對手進(jìn)行“靈活威懾”。

Fanning up the so-called "China threat." In addition to repeating its old rhetoric that Japan faces the most severe and complex security environment since WWII and labelling China as "an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge," the Defense of Japan 2025 white paper falsely accuses China of intensifying unilateral changes to the status quo by force and fabricates claims about China's military posing a threat to Japan. What is even more alarming is that Japan, in total disregard of the fact that Taiwan is part of China, seeks to interfere in the Taiwan question by absurdly claiming that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are vital to Japan's security and the stability of the international community. Japan's fabrication of such false narratives is nothing but an attempt to justify its actions to use Taiwan to contain China and to incite relevant countries to confront China, further exposing its sinister intention to meddle in regional affairs.

渲染“中國威脅”。除老調(diào)重彈稱日本面臨“二戰(zhàn)后最為嚴(yán)峻、復(fù)雜的安全環(huán)境”、稱中國為“前所未有的最大戰(zhàn)略挑戰(zhàn)”外，新版《防衛(wèi)白皮書》還誣稱中國“以實(shí)力單方面改變現(xiàn)狀”，編造中國軍力對日本的“危害”。更值得警惕的是，日本罔顧臺灣是中國一部分的事實(shí)，企圖在臺灣問題上指手畫腳，妄稱“臺海局勢穩(wěn)定事關(guān)我國安全和國際社會穩(wěn)定”。日本大肆炮制虛假敘事，不過是為其搞“以臺制華”、鼓動相關(guān)國家與中國對抗的行徑進(jìn)行辯護(hù)，進(jìn)一步凸顯了日本干預(yù)地區(qū)事務(wù)的險(xiǎn)惡用心。

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's recovery from Japanese occupation. Japanese militarism once inflicted profound suffering on China and other Asian neighbors. Instead of seriously reflecting on its past, Japan is once again showing dangerous tendencies toward military expansion. These actions gravely violate Japan's pacifist Constitution and its exclusively defense-oriented policy, severely undermine the post-war international order, and pose a serious challenge to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Japan should profoundly learn from historical lessons, act prudently in military security fields, stop smearing and accusing China, earnestly abide by the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and its commitments on the Taiwan question, and take concrete actions to promote the sound and stable development of China-Japan relations.

今年是中國人民抗日戰(zhàn)爭暨世界反法西斯戰(zhàn)爭勝利80周年，也是臺灣光復(fù)80周年。日本軍國主義曾給中國和亞洲鄰國帶來深重災(zāi)難，如今其非但不認(rèn)真反省，反而再次表現(xiàn)出擴(kuò)張軍備的危險(xiǎn)態(tài)勢，嚴(yán)重違背日本“和平憲法”和“專守防衛(wèi)”原則，嚴(yán)重破壞戰(zhàn)后國際秩序，給亞太地區(qū)和平安寧帶來重大挑戰(zhàn)。日本應(yīng)深刻汲取歷史教訓(xùn)，在軍事安全領(lǐng)域謹(jǐn)言慎行，并停止對華抹黑指責(zé)，切實(shí)恪守中日四個政治文件精神和在臺灣問題上所作承諾，以實(shí)際行動推動中日關(guān)系健康穩(wěn)定發(fā)展。

(The author is from the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.)

（作者單位：中國現(xiàn)代國際關(guān)系研究院）