Japan Steps Up Military Push Against China Amid Doubt Over US Stance

It Increases Defence Spending and Extends Naval Exercises as Far Away as Indian Ocean

- 

TOKYO - Japan is stepping up efforts to deter China's military ambitions in the Asia-Pacific as Tokyo and other US partners seek clarity from the Trump administration about its plans to counter Beijing's power in the region.

For the first time, Japan sent destroyers through the Taiwan Strait on two occasions in recent months, according to a person familiar with the operations, a sign of its willingness to directly challenge China over the waterway and the self-governing island it claims as its own.

Japan has also increased its military budget and the tempo of its naval exercises as far away as the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, a region Beijing claims almost complete control over and is a vital trade route for the global economy.

"When I was younger, and even in the first decade of this century, we used to stay close to Japan's shores," said Mr Katsuya Yamamoto, a retired rear admiral in Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force.

"Now, the world has changed, and the Japanese people accept that we can't just passively allow China's actions."

It is not just Japan taking note. China's assertiveness has alarmed many governments: Beijing has in recent years ramped up aerial and naval deployments around Taiwan, repeatedly confronted Philippine vessels around disputed islands and shoals, and sent warships into international waters off the coast of Sydney.

Those actions and the response in Asia will be one point of discussion for military leaders meeting in Singapore starting on May 30 for the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The annual gathering typically includes high-level officials from China and the US.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to deliver a speech on May 31 at the event.