Japan trumps up radar event on purpose
- By Zhang Junshe
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E-mail China.org.cn, March 28, 2013
The Japanese media's cooked-up story that claims senior People's Liberation Army (PLA) generals admitted Chinese naval ships used fire-control radar to target Japanese ships is an example of Japan raising hostilities between the two countries. In light of this, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense has repeatedly rejected this falsehood. Therefore, Japan must have an ulterior motive to fabricate such rumors.
To begin, Japan is likely doing this to divert global attention away from itself and alleviate personal responsibility.
The Sino-Japanese dispute over the Diaoyu Islands has intensified since last September. In a unilateral move breaking the tacit agreement of "shelving disputes," Japan openly nationalized the Diaoyu Islands. China has accordingly taken a series of measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty, and Japan's provocative behavior has also been met by strong Chinese and international criticism.
Going for wool and coming home shorn, Japan's right-wing politicians invented the so-called "fire-control radar irradiation event," in an attempt to discredit China and deliberately create a tense atmosphere, deceiving the international community by covering up its real purpose.
Second, Japan did this to win support from home and abroad for its pacifist Constitutional revision, military expansion and the collective self-defense's non-restriction.
Over the years, Japan has been trying to develop a professional army. In order to achieve this goal, Japan has labeled the United States as its biggest obstacle. Japan and the U.S. have their fair share of disputes throughout modern history. The U.S. has restrained vigorously Japan's political and military development, and kept alert to Japan's right-wing movements. The U.S. did this to promote a more favorable international and regional structure, while simultaneously prevent a second Pearl Harbor.
This changed during the Cold War, and the U.S. began to loosen its grip on Japan, whose military power and national strength had since developed rapidly.
The United States has expressed its stance of neutrality in regards to the ongoing Sino-Japanese dispute over the Diaoyu Islands in hopes that China and Japan can solve this problem through dialogue. John Kerry, the newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State, also noted in a hearing that the U.S. opposed a military build-up in the Asia-Pacific region.
In Japan's view, the United States no longer offers it unconditional support. The "fire-control radar irradiation event" was another example of Japan reverting to old tactics. It's a groundless allegation hoping to pull the U.S. into the regional conflict between China and Japan. The Japanese media is trying to portray China as an aggressive nation, thereby securing Uncle Sam's support for Japan.
According to Chinese military data, Japan flies more than 500 sorties of close reconnaissance aircraft near China every years, and China's naval movements are under similar close watch.
Such irresponsible attempts to guide international public opinion by artificially creating a tense atmosphere will make Japan reap what it has sown.
The author is a senior colonel of the Naval Military Academic Research Institute.
The article was first published in Chinese and translated by Li Xiaohua.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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