North Korea’s growing missile arsenal might be the most obvious and immediate military threat facing Japan, but defense planners in Tokyo are focused on a much larger and more challenging foe as they prepare for the years ahead.
China has stepped up military spending and already dominates the South China Sea, through which Japan’s trade with major markets, including Europe and the Middle East, flows.
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KEYWORDS
East China Sea,
Okinawa,
U.S.,
North Korea,
Military,
senkakus,
weapons,
disputed islands,
South China Sea,
SDF,
China-Japan relations
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