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China-Japan-Koreas
Japan can legally be allowed to possess nuclear arms, gov't says
2006-11-14
TOKYO — Japan can legally be allowed to possess nuclear arms as long as they are at a "necessary minimum" level for its self-defense, the government said Tuesday. The cabinet made public the view in a position paper in response to a written question by House of Representatives member Muneo Suzuki.
"One for each major city in North Korea and China sounds about right."
From a purely legal standpoint, the paper said the war-renouncing Constitution "does not necessarily ban the country from possessing any weapons, even though they are nuclear ones, if they are the necessary minimum for self-defense." But the paper also says that Japan will never possess nuclear weapons, noting that the country maintains the decades-long three-point nonnuclear policy that bans Japan from possessing and producing nuclear weapons as well as from allowing such arms to be brought into its territory.
Times change, as do policies.
Posted by:Steve

#14  Somehow I think Japan will start seriously reconsidering its pacifist position now that the Donks are in power here and ready to kick the financial legs out from under the WOT (in order to aid their allies the terrorists.... (why yes, as a matter of fact I do question their patriotism!))

I think they had an almost front row seat to what happened in Vietnam and then Cambodia after the democrats kicks the financial legs out of our support there.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2006-11-14 23:53  

#13  The Greater East Aisa Co-thingy?
Nah...

Taiwan is a divided mess.
KMT split into 3
Taiwan Nats into a couple of parties.

Current Prez is a Kaohsiung mobster turned Pol. (Not from the Bamboo Gang)
He would love to integrate into a Japan Sphere but he doesn't have the money to pull it off. Taiwan's big money is invested in South China.
Commie party is strong in North China.
South China has always been biz men and would like to be cozy with Taiwan. North China has always been PARTY and Mil. They don't get any KumShaw (money benefit) out of the deal so they rattle their swords (just like our gens sometimes do) and defense money flows into their pockets.

Taiwan has a real outsourcing problem just like the USA. All their jobs are going to China so wages are depressed for everybody not the capitalist owners in Taiwan. That mixes the broth even more.

To top it off... 20-1 they have had nukes since the late 70s.

Posted by: 3dc   2006-11-14 22:33  

#12  Forgot to say that, besides NORTH KOREA + TAIWAN + TIBET issues, Beijing does NOT wholly trust either MANCHURIA or MONGOLIA.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-11-14 21:24  

#11  Forgot to say that, besides NORTH KOREA + TAIWAN + TOBET issues, Beijing does NOT wholly trust either MANCHURIA or MONGOLIA.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-11-14 21:24  

#10  As a US servicemember-commentator implied on STARS-AND-STRIPES, COMMIE CHINA MAY WANT REGIONAL HEGEMONY = EMPIRE, BUT SHE STILL HAS TO AFFORD = PAY FOR IT, to pay for her own ambitions. RUSSIA in a quandry becuz they know, be it via future EURO-ARABIA = SINO-ASIA/PACIFIC, unless something changes their $$$ profits in LT will go down once the regressions + local sectarianisms/civil wars begin [again]. FASCISTS-FOR-COMMUNISM RUSSIA AT HEART WANTS TO BE THE [SOLE] RECEIVER, BOT A GIVER, IFF THEY CAN HELP IT - like China, Russia must afford her own hegemonic/new empire ambitions.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-11-14 21:20  

#9  Yuk, Yuk. Trains on the track. Will be leaving the station soon.
Posted by: SpecOp35   2006-11-14 18:22  

#8  The Taiwanese especially would put the ChiComs in one hell of a bind by placing themselves under the shadow of an Asian bomb.

Bingo, Mike. Nothing like a homegrown defense structure to cut the legs out from under any Chinese communist protests regarding American hegemony. Sadly, the collective memory of historical trauma imposed by the Japanese probably precludes it.

You're dead on with the trade package idea, though. The Philippines desperately needs some sort of economic boost to reignite foreign investment. Their own internal corruption has just about killed off any inflow of outside capital.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-11-14 16:19  

#7  Zenster-
Sir, you have a wonderful idea there - if the Japanese could throw in some trade and business deals too, I think Taiwan and the PI would seriously consider it but the memories of Japanese occupation in Korea go back several generations past WWII. The Taiwanese especially would put the ChiComs in one hell of a bind by placing themselves under the shadow of an Asian bomb.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-11-14 14:55  

#6  Yup, Mike. Japan is running a big red banner up the flagpole. If China refuses to comprehend and does not rein in its Rottweiler, North Korea, then nuclearization will proceed apace. Too bad that Japan does not have the ostiones to contrive a mutual defense pact with Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines. Post WWII memories are probably way too strong for any of that.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-11-14 14:34  

#5  I imagine Honda could start cranking out nukes next week.

...And with direct to buyer rebates, they'll sell like hotcakes.
Al kidding aside, I have a sneaking suspicion that this is the Japanese government's last warning to the Norks and ChiComs. There had better be some distinct, verifiable improvement, and damned fast, or there won't BE another announcement, other than to say the first Japanese IRBMs have stood up.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-11-14 13:10  

#4  A necessary minimum is a lot more than a necessary maximum too.
Posted by: BrerRabbit   2006-11-14 11:39  

#3  I imagine Honda could start cranking out nukes next week.
Posted by: Excalibur   2006-11-14 11:33  

#2  This will get Chinese panties in a wad!
Posted by: DarthVader   2006-11-14 10:03  

#1  thanks Kim, you little asshole!
Posted by: Hu Jintao   2006-11-14 09:44  

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