JAPAN: Prime Minister Noda inspects Japanese troops and emphasizes the military's importance.

Record ID: 466754

  • Title: JAPAN: Prime Minister Noda inspects Japanese troops and emphasizes the military's importance.
  • Date: 11th September 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OFFICERS BOWING AS NODA WALKS IN TO GIVE SPEECH NODA SPEAKING OFFICERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, YOSHIHIKO NODA SAYING: "Whether it's China as they look to continue to increase their military power and increase their activities in the surrounding area, or Russia as they increase their activities in in the far east when one looks around the world the threat of terrorism or the spread of weapons of mass destruction cannot be ignored." OFFICERS LISTENING TO NODA (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, YOSHIHIKO NODA SAYING: "What does this mean for us? It means that the responsibility and the expectations for the Self-Defense forces are higher than ever." OFFICERS BOWING TO NODA
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7BBQ0N28JP110NT5AU1YLLRUJ
  • Story Text: Japan's Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda inspects troops and emphasizes the military's importance as the cabinet approves the purchase of islands disputed with China.


    Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiki Noda warned of a heighten regional threat from neighbouring nations after he inspected troops on Tuesday (September 11), as the country's cabinet officially agreed to purchase a group of islands disputed with China.
    Noda commented after an annual inspection of the Japanese Self Defence Forces (JSDF), the equivalent of Japan's military as the country is constitutionally prohibited from waging war.
    "Whether it's China as they look to continue to increase their military power and increase their activities in the surrounding area, or Russia as they increase their activities in in the far east when one looks around the world the threat of terrorism or the spread of weapons of mass destruction cannot be ignored," Noda said to gathered senior members of the JSDF.
    "What does this mean for us? It means that the responsibility and the expectations for the Self-Defense forces are higher than ever," Noda said.
    Japan has a standing military of about 225,000 personnel, about one-tenth of China's and one-fifth of North Korea's, but bigger than that of Britain.
    Japan's defence budget fell for the 10th straight year to 4.65 trillion yen (59 billion U.S. dollars) for the current fiscal year ending in March 2013, reflecting the constraints of Japan's huge public debt, which is the worst among industrialized nations at twice the size of its annual economic output.
    The comments come as Japan formally agreed to buy a group of islands disputed with China from their private owners.
    The islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are near rich fishing grounds and potentially huge maritime gas fields and have been at the heart of long-running territorial disputes between the world's second and third-largest economies.
    "In today's cabinet meeting, in order to maintain the peaceful and stable management of the Senkaku islands, it was approved to have the funds for Uotsuri-jima, Minami-kojima and Kita-kojima to have 2.05 billion yen (26.15 million US dollars) appropriated. We hope to soon sign the contract with actual owners as soon as possible," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told reporters.
    Japanese media reported that soon afterwards, the government had actually exchanged contracts with the owners of the islands.
    Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda initially floated the idea of nationalising the islands in July to fend off the Governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, a harsh critic of China, and his own plan to buy the islands which could have had even more severe diplomatic repercussion.
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