The Japanese Ministry of Defense has published a report titled "Japan Defense 2023" that addresses the 5-year defense goals and program.

The report, which predicts that China will have 1500 nuclear warheads by 2035, stated that the country "faces the most severe and complex security environment since the end of the Second World War", while North Korea and Russia, especially China's "significantly" strengthening of military capabilities in the region and the "rapidly intensifying" military activities "threaten" Japan's security.

The rapid increase of armaments in the region, including nuclear weapons and missiles, has increased the "tendency to unilaterally forcibly change" the status quo.

The report also included statements about the islands, which South Korea calls "Dokdo" and the Japanese call "Takshima", with a total area of 0.2 square kilometers and where sovereignty disputes are taking place between the two countries.

Japan's assessment of the airspace of these islands within its own continental shelf was stated in the report, which was violated by Russian aircraft in 2019.

Japan will enhance diplomacy to pursue the vision of "the Indo-Pacific region to be free and open" and will pursue a defense-oriented policy to ensure peace and security in the region.

"CHINA IS A 'MORE SERIOUS AND IMMINENT THREAT THAN EVER'"
North Korea's military activities pose a "more serious and imminent than ever" threat to the country's national security, the report said, while Russia's military activities in the Indo-Pacific region and its strategic coordination with China also cause "security concern."

It was pointed out that China's current foreign policy and military activities have become a matter of "serious concern" for Japan and the international community and "the greatest strategic challenge ever unprecedented."

The report predicts that China will have 1500 nuclear warheads by 2035, while China will increase its "military pressure" on Taiwan. This will increase regional tensions and pose a security threat, especially for the islands in the southwest of Japan.

JAPAN AIMS TO INCREASE ITS DEFENSIVE CAPACITY
In the report, which stated that the National Security Strategy aimed to strengthen the defense capacity from the ground up, 3 main targets were determined, especially China.

The objectives included creating a security environment that does not allow unilateral forcible changes to the status quo, maintaining cooperation with allies and rapidly controlling the situation by responding to attempts to forcibly change the status quo through this cooperation, and repelling such violations with the support of allies if such attempts fail and national borders are violated.

In order to achieve these goals, importance will be attached to the country's defense capacity, alliance with the United States and strengthening cooperation with countries pursuing similar policies.

In the report, it was stated that the defense budget, which was approximately $ 123 billion in 2019-2023, was increased to approximately $ 312 billion in the new 5-year planning.

It is reported that Japan will invest in areas such as integrated air and missile defense and unmanned defense in the next 5 years, especially the strengthening of the missile defense system on the high seas and in the airspace as a precaution against missile attacks.