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Who would have thought that, after decades of silence, Japan would once again dominate the seas with Japanese aircraft carriers? This news is generating intense buzz, especially in China, which sees this move as a real spark for old rivalries and strategic tensions. Japan, which has limited itself to a defensive policy since the end of World War II, is now preparing to operate new aircraft carriers – and China is watching, worried about what this could mean for the future of security in the Pacific.
Japan has been slowly changing its defense stance over the past few years, marked by a pacifist constitution imposed after World War II. During the conflict, Japanese aircraft carriers were symbols of naval power and an expansionist strategy in the Pacific. After its defeat, however, Japan committed to maintaining a limited military force, focusing exclusively on self-defense. This scenario, however, began to change with the modernization of its equipment, including the Kaga and Izumo, initially built as “helicopter destroyers” but now undergoing adaptations to operate F-35B fighters.
These changes have gained momentum largely due to growing pressure from perceived threats from China and North Korea. The Kaga, which entered service in 2017, already featured many features of a traditional aircraft carrier, such as a continuous flight deck and aircraft hangars. But it was only in 2018 that the Japanese government officially announced that these ships would be adapted to accommodate short takeoff and vertical landing fighter aircraft purchased from the United States.
Japanese autonomous aircraft carriers
The modernization project is underway and will be completed in two phases, the first focused on adapting the flight deck and the second focused on internal reconfiguration. With this upgrade, Japanese aircraft carriers will gain the ability to operate autonomously on extended combat missions, expanding their presence in the Pacific, including in disputed areas such as the Senkaku Islands, where Japan has a territorial dispute with China.
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A strategic return that worries China
Japan's decision to resume operations with Japanese aircraft carriers will beyond a simple renovation military; this is a strategic move that changes the balance of power in Asia. For China, this Japanese military expansion, with the support of the United States, constitutes a containment network that limits its possibilities of expansion in the Pacific. Japan, together with allies such as the United States, Australia and South Korea, forms an alliance that aims to contain the growing Chinese influence in the region.
Beyond territorial disputes and memories of past aggression, Japan's rise as a renewed military power may remind China of a painful past in which Japan harbored imperialist ambitions. The resurgence of Japanese aircraft carriers could be interpreted as an indication that Japan is once again open to expanding its military capabilities.
The global reaction and implications
This Japanese military advance is viewed with apprehension not only by China, but also by neighboring countries, which closely monitor any changes in Japan's defense forces. For many analysts, the return of Japanese aircraft carriers symbolizes a more proactive stance, which breaks with the country's strictly defensive policy.
This change is in line with Japan's new National Security Strategy and Defense Enhancement Program, both designed to provide a more assertive response to potential threats in the region.
The military alliance between Japan and the United States is essential to this progress. The United States encourages Japan to strengthen its military capabilities as part of a strategy to counterbalance China's influence. This support allows Japan to carry out modernizations with American technological and logistical resources, creating a network of allies in the Indo-Pacific.
Return of Japanese aircraft carriers
The return of Japan's aircraft carriers is a turning point in the balance of power in Asia, rekindling historic rivalries and strategies of containment. For China, Japan's growing militarization, with US support, is seen as a direct threat, not only territorial, but also as a reminder of old wounds. This new scenario puts Japan and China on constant alert, where each movement may have repercussions global.
In fact, it is China's military expansion, already with a third aircraft carrier, because of Taiwan, which the Chinese do not want Americans to put batteries in, as per the treaty, Japan has to return everything that was not theirs, the islands in dispute with South Korea and China do not belong to them, to this day Japan is trying to embellish and moderate the story of the "invasion" and softening the massacre of millions of people, mostly civilians, Japan's lack of an official apology to the invading countries and compensation for raped women. Now, joining forces with the US, you already know, will be used as a proxy for war with China. The Japanese Chinese will die, but the US will get rich selling weapons.