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China-Japan relations

Inside Japan’s military build-up

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis-equipped destroyer Chokai (right) in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, on August 30, 2026. Photo: Kyodo

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China

Military

How Tokyo is widening regional defence ties to complicate Beijing’s Taiwan calculus

Illustration: Brian Wang

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles (left) shakes hands with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi during a press conference in Canberra on August 18. Photo: AFP

Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force members stand at attention next to the JS Natori, a Mogami-class stealth frigate, at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shipyard and Machinery Works in Nagasaki on May 21. Photo: AFP

Tokyo is strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, possibly bolstering its ability to withstand a prolonged armed conflict.


How Japan is digging in to deter – and withstand – a conflict over Taiwan

Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force is expanding its capabilities and strengthening coordination with the US and other partners as Tokyo prepares for the prospect of conflict in the region. Photo: Kyodo News via AP

Japan Ground Self-Defence Force soldiers observe a Type 88 surface-to-ship missile launcher, during joint military exercises with the US and the Philippines in Ilocos Norte province, northern Philippines, in May. Photo: Reuters

Type 90 battle tanks of the Ground Self-Defence Force take part in a live-fire exercise in Shizuoka prefecture, central Japan, in June. Photo: AFP

The USS George Washington carrier strike group and Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force vessels sail in formation during the Valiant Shield exercise in the Philippine Sea in June. Photo: Handout

Japan’s recent purchase of a former Nippon Steel site in Kure, Hiroshima prefecture, to build a sprawling new defence hub points to a deeper shift in Tokyo’s preparations for a potential Taiwan conflict. Photo: Google Earth

A planned Hiroshima defence hub highlights how Tokyo is accelerating preparations to sustain its military should a Taiwan crisis reach Japan.


Japan’s China-facing military build-up confronts labour, budget and political limits

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

A test-firing of a Tomahawk cruise missile from the Aegis-equipped destroyer Chokai of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force in the Pacific Ocean on July 28 local time. Photo: Japan’s Ministry of Defence via Kyodo

An uncrewed ground vehicle developed by Milrem Robotics takes part in a live-fire exercise at East Fuji Manoeuvre Area in Gotemba, Japan, on June 7. Photo: AFP

Amid ambitious transformation driven by risk it could be drawn into a Taiwan conflict, Tokyo tackles tough obstacles at home, analysts say.


The risk of a conflict over Taiwan is shaping Japanese defence planning, with Tokyo shoring up security at home and abroad for a potentially prolonged fight. But there are economic, demographic and political constraints on how far its military transformation can go.


Series

Inside Japan’s military build-up

The risk of a conflict over Taiwan is shaping Japanese defence planning, with Tokyo shoring up security at home and abroad for a potentially prolonged fight. But there are economic, demographic and political constraints on how far its military transformation can go.

In Focus | How Tokyo is widening regional defence ties to complicate Beijing’s Taiwan calculus

Tokyo is strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, possibly bolstering its ability to withstand a prolonged armed conflict.

In Focus | How Japan is digging in to deter – and withstand – a conflict over Taiwan

A planned Hiroshima defence hub highlights how Tokyo is accelerating preparations to sustain its military should a Taiwan crisis reach Japan.

Japan’s China-facing military push tests labour, budget and political limits

Amid ambitious transformation driven by risk it could be drawn into a Taiwan conflict, Tokyo tackles tough obstacles at home, analysts say.

Inside Japan’s military build-up

The risk of a conflict over Taiwan is shaping Japanese defence planning, with Tokyo shoring up security at home and abroad for a potentially prolonged fight. But there are economic, demographic and political constraints on how far its military transformation can go.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}In Focus | How Tokyo is widening regional defence ties to complicate Beijing’s Taiwan calculus

Tokyo is strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, possibly bolstering its ability to withstand a prolonged armed conflict.

In Focus | How Japan is digging in to deter – and withstand – a conflict over Taiwan

A planned Hiroshima defence hub highlights how Tokyo is accelerating preparations to sustain its military should a Taiwan crisis reach Japan.

Japan’s China-facing military push tests labour, budget and political limits

Amid ambitious transformation driven by risk it could be drawn into a Taiwan conflict, Tokyo tackles tough obstacles at home, analysts say.

In Focus | How Tokyo is widening regional defence ties to complicate Beijing’s Taiwan calculus