Pacifist Japan Seeks Major Military Buildup |
In the first revision of its national defense strategy since 2013, Japan plans to double defense spending by 2027 and lifts a self-imposed restriction (NPR) on its ability to strike other nations with missiles. The shift is part of a major remilitarization that reverses the pacifist orientation Japan has held in the decades since World War II.
The strategy cites heightened threats from China and North Korea and says that Japan, a U.S. ally, should be more independent (Nikkei) in its self-defense. The plan to boost military spending foresees purchases of U.S.-made missiles that are capable of reaching North Korea and parts of China. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said the new capabilities would allow Japan to “deter an attack or force an enemy to stop one.”
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“Kishida has done a remarkable job in preparing for this warp-speed jump in Japanese military capabilities. Domestic opposition has been minor, and even the idea of doubling Japan’s defense budget has drawn remarkably little outcry in a nation where the public has long been sensitive to any changes in military policy,” CFR’s Sheila A. Smith writes for the Asia Unbound blog.
“The counter-strike capability is of course important for Japan’s own defense, but it will also significantly raise the costs for China if it were to attempt a change in status quo [on Taiwan],” Keio University’s Ken Jimbo tells the Financial Times. This Backgrounder looks at the U.S.-Japan security alliance. |
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Chinese Firms Allow U.S. Audits After Impasse |
U.S. regulators announced that they inspected the accounts (Nikkei) of some Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges and will issue inspection reports next year. Without the inspections, the firms had faced potential bans from the exchanges. On The President’s Inbox podcast, CFR’s Sebastian Mallaby discusses the economic Cold War between the United States and China. |
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India Tests Long-Range Missile After Border Clash With China |
India test-fired a nuclear-capable missile (Indian Express) after its troops clashed with Chinese border guards last week. The missile’s range would allow it to target major cities in China.
India: Countries including Cuba, Luxembourg, Tajikistan, and Sudan have expressed interest in using Indian rupees in international transactions instead of U.S. dollars or other major currencies, Reuters reported.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Israel’s Netanyahu Says He Will Seek Full Diplomatic Relations With Saudi Arabia |
Benjamin Netanyahu, set to again become Israel’s prime minister, vowed to improve the country’s ties (AP) with Saudi Arabia and said doing so could facilitate Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Jordan: People in the southern city of Maan participated in rare protests (Bloomberg) against high fuel prices. Authorities said a police officer was killed in the demonstrations. |
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Burkina Faso Summons Ghanaian Ambassador Over Russian Mercenary Comments |
Burkina Faso called for a formal explanation (Reuters) after Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo alleged that Burkina Faso had hired fighters from Russia’s Wagner Group.
For the Africa in Transition blog, CFR’s Michelle Gavin explains why the Wagner Group has found a foothold in African countries.
South Africa: Former South African President Jacob Zuma said he is suing (AFP) current President Cyril Ramaphosa over a leaked medical report. The announcement comes ahead of Ramaphosa’s expected reelection as leader of the African National Congress party. |
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Pentagon to Expand Training of Ukrainian Troops |
A U.S. program that trains Ukrainian troops in Germany will instruct (NYT) at least five hundred troops per month, up from three hundred, and teach them advanced skills, the U.S. Department of Defense said.
United Kingdom: Due to a pay dispute, nurses in the country launched their largest strike (BBC) since the National Health Service was founded in 1948.
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Mexican Congress Approves Budget Cuts to Election Watchdog |
Election authorities said the staff reduction required by the budget cut bill could jeopardize monitoring (WaPo) of the 2024 general elections. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is expected to sign the bill into law.
In Foreign Affairs, Denise Dresser writes that López Obrador’s efforts to overhaul the election agency put Mexican democracy at risk.
Peru: Former President Pedro Castillo Terrones, who was impeached last week after trying to dissolve Congress, was placed in pretrial detention (MercoPress) for eighteen months. He faces rebellion and conspiracy charges.
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Twitter Bans Journalists Reporting on Musk |
Twitter owner Elon Musk said several reporters from CNN, the New York Times, and other outlets were temporarily banned from the platform (BBC) for sharing individuals’ private information. A European Union official threatened sanctions against the company for violating freedom of expression laws. |
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Most Clicked Friday Editor’s Picks of 2022 |
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