Japan plans to beef up military

[Mandicoria]

Good for Japan, if it feels threatened by China it has every right to improve its military to counter any possible threats, and china probably will get pissy but eh, they are not innocent in this. Its also good to see Japan taking steps to secure its own defence instead of relying on outside support like the US.

But damn that is a lot of amphibious vehicles.

^

[Novo Portugal]

Yeah, not really. Although, they do have a big army, they can't launch a sucessfull invasion on countries outside of their vicinity because their Air Force and Navy are a joke. Especially, if said country is an archipelago, like Japan. (...)
China doesn't really pose as a threat to Japan. They just engage in sabre-rattling.

Might be, but if China steps up its navy she becomes a very real danger for Japan and Taiwan.

[Post-Keynesian Economics]

It might as well. Now that Japan's people own most of its enormous debt, Japan is like a business that just won a deal on "Shark Tank." Time to spend money on awesome stuff.

[GWACA]

America will NOT get involved it would ruin our economy. China would do anything to keep us form getting involved, we a large portion of their exports and provide a huge quantity of their food.

Au contraire. You cannot afford not to. It would destroy your international influence and trust completely.

Beacause we care about that so much, obviously. No really, I mean look at how we handled North Korea... okay bad example, look at how we handled Iran... oh... right... Egypt... huh. Maybe we don't care about what the international community thinks of us.

[Toishima]

Yes. As much as I love my country we go to war for one reason, and one reason alone. Profit.

Good luck maintaining any respect in East Asia after the war is over, then. Unless of course China takes over the whole region, in which case the world would probably be quick to point out that this happened due to the US's negligence.

[Greed and Death]

And we're presuming that, in those years, nobody decides to help Japan. Like it or not the region's more popular nation is Japan, compared to Scary Big Communist China. South Korea, to help themselves, will likely try to stop a war between China and Japan, as would the ASEAN nations, and maybe Australia, mostly to deter China's expansionism. And everyone will be asking the US to help, whether the US wants to or not. Eventuallythey will have to join in.

America will NOT get involved it would ruin our economy. China would do anything to keep us form getting involved, we a large portion of their exports and provide a huge quantity of their food.

Trade is not a 21st century invention there was significant trade pre WWI, and in the 1920s so people will destroy trade in order to go to war.

[Novia Soviet Socialist Republic]

Yeah, not really. Although, they do have a big army, they can't launch a sucessfull invasion on countries

Power projection doesn't come only in the overseas invasion flavour.

There are other ways of projecting power. The Russians for starters had a nice idea back in the Fifties which was called R-7, but I don't know if anyone has continued down that road.

I just looked it up. That's one scary looking missile.

[Novo Portugal]

The Russians for starters had a nice idea back in the Fifties which was called R-7, but I don't know if anyone has continued down that road.

Someone did
http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/a8W7Lep_460sa.gif

[GWACA]

Yes. As much as I love my country we go to war for one reason, and one reason alone. Profit.

Good luck maintaining any respect in East Asia after the war is over, then. Unless of course China takes over the whole region, in which case the world would probably be quick to point out that this happened due to the US's negligence.

We aren't a global police force, why didn't the rest of the world stand up and stop it?

[Nabeshima]

They have, but if anything, they are outdated. The Chinese Navy is impressive, they have a wonderful capability of deploying soldiers overseas.
The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force can't stop that, and the Japanese Army resembles more the American National Guard.
A Chinese invasion of Japanese Soil on all fronts and positions is not only possible, it would be unstoppable.

You underestimate the JMSDF.

Half of the entire staff's district forces are positioned facing the Chinese mainland. You think they wouldn't have formed a contingency plan? You must think very highly of my country, and what I and my sister do for a living.

[Chevrro]

China depends more on USA than USA depends on China.

China export depends largely on USA and EU consumer and China is dependent on jobs created by western companies.

Nowadays everyone needs everyone in their economics. USA needs China and China needs USA.

But China will be first one to fall. China economy doesn't have great outlook either so their military spending is going to fall soon.

China has been greatly overproducing and creating massive bubble in machinery (cars and stuff) and real estate. China has completed all requirements for Great Depression.

[Chevrro]

Good luck maintaining any respect in East Asia after the war is over, then. Unless of course China takes over the whole region, in which case the world would probably be quick to point out that this happened due to the US's negligence.

We aren't a global police force, why didn't the rest of the world stand up and stop it?

Well USA has just increased it's presence in Asia. Why wouldn't they help Japan?

[Vamtrl]

Well obviously context was "blue water amphibious capability".

Lol

[GWACA]

America will NOT get involved it would ruin our economy. China would do anything to keep us form getting involved, we a large portion of their exports and provide a huge quantity of their food.

Trade is not a 21st century invention there was significant trade pre WWI, and in the 1920s so people will destroy trade in order to go to war.

seeing as we only go to war to get more profit or when our profit is threatened... yeah I'm gonna go ahead and say it would dictate our involvment.

[Immoren]

Yeah, not really. Although, they do have a big army, they can't launch a sucessfull invasion on countries

Power projection doesn't come only in the overseas invasion flavour.

There are other ways of projecting power. The Russians for starters had a nice idea back in the Fifties which was called R-7, but I don't know if anyone has continued down that road.

Obviously in best case scenario you'd have strong amphibious force to exploit bridgehead caused by the nukes dropped on the coastline.

[Jetan]

Au contraire. You cannot afford not to. It would destroy your international influence and trust completely.

Beacause we care about that so much, obviously. No really, I mean look at how we handled North Korea... okay bad example, look at how we handled Iran... oh... right... Egypt... huh. Maybe we don't care about what the international community thinks of us.

Honestly. Try to think a little. USA abandons one of it's main allies. What happens? The whole world sees USA turning it's belly to PRC, and every single one of their allies and aligned states sees that the US is not a trustworthy partner. You don't see how this could be a problem? Really?

[GWACA]

We aren't a global police force, why didn't the rest of the world stand up and stop it?

Well USA has just increased it's presence in Asia. Why wouldn't they help Japan?

Because our presence was to make the North Koreans step down from their nukey nukey standpoint and go back to washey washey.

[GWACA]

Beacause we care about that so much, obviously. No really, I mean look at how we handled North Korea... okay bad example, look at how we handled Iran... oh... right... Egypt... huh. Maybe we don't care about what the international community thinks of us.

Honestly. Try to think a little. USA abandons one of it's main allies. What happens? The whole world sees USA turning it's belly to PRC, and every single one of their allies and aligned states sees that the US is not a trustworthy partner. You don't see how this could be a problem? Really?

I see the problem, it's just that our leadership simply does not care.

[Chevrro]

Well USA has just increased it's presence in Asia. Why wouldn't they help Japan?

Because our presence was to make the North Koreans step down from their nukey nukey standpoint and go back to washey washey.

But USA has increased its presence even after this little North Korean crisis. And also when China made it's "air defence zone", us flew there couple times with their bombers to show China that they are there.

[Vamtrl]

Honestly. Try to think a little. USA abandons one of it's main allies. What happens? The whole world sees USA turning it's belly to PRC, and every single one of their allies and aligned states sees that the US is not a trustworthy partner. You don't see how this could be a problem? Really?

I see the problem, it's just that our leadership simply does not care.

The US has bases in Japan, South Korea and maybe once again in the Philippines. They care.

[Toishima]

I see the problem, it's just that our leadership simply does not care.

So I wonder who's selling Japan this new military hardware for their defense and is deploying naval units and aircraft in defiance of China's illegal air defense zone...

[Divair]

Given the USA's shift towards the Pacific, what's the point? They can take care of any possible problems.

[Jetan]

Honestly. Try to think a little. USA abandons one of it's main allies. What happens? The whole world sees USA turning it's belly to PRC, and every single one of their allies and aligned states sees that the US is not a trustworthy partner. You don't see how this could be a problem? Really?

I see the problem, it's just that our leadership simply does not care.

Yeah, no. Whatever you may think of your leadership, they would not be stupid enough to destroy the status and influence of the US that way.

[Novo Portugal]

But China will be first one to fall. China economy doesn't have great outlook either so their military spending is going to fall soon. China has been greatly overproducing and creating massive bubble in machinery (cars and stuff) and real estate. China has completed all requirements for Great Depression.

So? China falls and the whole world will fall, economically speaking. Then all becomes a shithole, and all that happened before WW2 thanks to the great depression will happen again. All of this has nothing to do with China's military power.

[Toishima]

Given the USA's shift towards the Pacific, what's the point? They can take care of any possible problems.

Best to rely on yourself than others. Maybe one day some people here may be correct and the US will not help Japan.