Political-military alignment with ulterior motives the real threat to region...

Political-military alignment with ulterior motives the real threat to regional stability: China Daily editorial - Opinion - Chinadaily.com.cn

This is an editorial from China Daily.

With the Sanae Takaichi government of Japan leading the charge, the Ferdinand Marcos Jr government of the Philippines eagerly following, and the Lai Ching-te authorities of China's Taiwan region enthusiastically lending their support, East Asia is witnessing the gradual formation of a potentially destabilizing political-military alignment.

Many in Asia are worried that the Takaichi government is steadily eroding the postwar restraints that defined the country's security posture for decades. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has approved proposals calling for a significant expansion of military capabilities, including stronger counterstrike capabilities, higher defense spending, enhanced long-range missile capabilities, and even exploring next-generation submarines with long-range weapons. Japanese policymakers justify these moves by citing a "deteriorating security environment".

But as China's Foreign Ministry has pointed out, right-wing forces in Japan are exploiting regional tensions to advance their agenda of militarization.

Peace activists and veteran statesmen in Japan have cautioned against ignoring the lessons of history. The passing of former Japanese political leader Yohei Kono at 89 on Monday is a poignant reminder of a different vision of Japan's role in Asia. Kono, who as Japan's chief cabinet secretary issued a landmark 1993 apology over the comfort women, understood that reconciliation, historical honesty and regional trust were strategic assets rather than burdens. His warnings against ultra-nationalism and military adventurism in the country appear increasingly relevant given the reckless moves of the Takaichi government.

The announcement by Tokyo and Manila last month that they will conduct "maritime delimitation negotiations" for waters east of China's Taiwan island adds a new layer of complexity to an already sensitive region. The proposed "delimitation" by Japan and the Philippines infringes on China's maritime interests and violates the basic norms of international relations, as China has an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the concerned waters according to international law.

Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro insists that the Tokyo-Manila negotiations should continue regardless of Chinese objections. Such statements may play well domestically and among external partners, but they increase the risk of turning the region's maritime disputes into geopolitical flashpoints.

Compounding the concerns is the enthusiastic endorsement of the move by the secessionist-minded Lai authorities. Since taking office over two years ago, Lai has consistently sought closer security and political alignment with external forces that advocate a harder line toward the Chinese mainland. His latest praise for Japan's "security role" and his support for deepening Japan-Philippines "delimitation" moves fit this agenda and amount to political adventurism.

Therefore the real danger lies in the cumulative effect of the collusion of the three, each with its own axe to grind. A Japan steadily expanding its military role, a Philippines increasingly willing to stake its future on provoking China, and the Taiwan authorities — led by the diehard secessionist Lai — eager to internationalize cross-Strait tensions, form a highly combustible mix.

If Tokyo, Manila and the Lai authorities continue down the current path, Beijing will necessarily take corresponding countermeasures to safeguard the Chinese nation's core interests. The mainland's recent special maritime traffic law enforcement and hydrographic survey operation in waters east of Taiwan island are necessary responses to the latest antics of the provocative threesome.

Beijing's ban on Philippine defense chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr and his family from entering the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, along with a prohibition on any transactions or cooperation between Chinese entities and them, serves as a warning to Manila not to go too far in the wrong direction.

The region does not need a clique formed for confrontation by militarists, adventurists and separatists. The so-called Tokyo-Manila "delimitation" talks, endorsed by the Lai authorities, are illegal, null and void. No matter what the three parties dream up, they cannot alter the fact that Taiwan is part of China. Their collusion reveals that they are the real troublemakers that pose an imminent threat to regional peace and stability.