By Shannon Tiezzi
Beijing has reacted with predictable breathlessness to the passage of new security legislation in Tokyo.
On July 16, Japan’s lower house approved security legislation backed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a step toward codifying one of the largest shifts in Japan’s security posture since the end of World War II (for more, see: “Japan’s New Security Legislation: A Missed Opportunity”). Most notably, the legislation will permit Japan’s Self Defense Forces to engage in collective self-defense. Predictably, the bills (which still need to be approved by Japan’s upper house) have sparked a strong reaction from neighboring China, which remains on hyper-alert for any sign that Japan is seeking to remilitarize.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency was quick to blast the passage of the legislation,calling it a “nightmare scenario” and a “dark stain for Japan.” One of the more sensational commentaries invoked a lengthy metaphor, comparing the bills to a “samurai sword” Abe used in “fatally slashing Japan’s seven decades of pacifism.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat