Russian scholar Yuriy Pikalov has raised alarms over Japan's accelerating military expansion, linking it to what he calls "political manipulation" of the Taiwan question. In a recent interview, the Pacific National University professor argued that Tokyo is exploiting cross-strait tensions to justify constitutional revisions and increased defense spending, potentially destabilizing the Asia-Pacific region.
Strategic Provocations and Historical Amnesia
Pikalov emphasized that Japan's focus on the Taiwan region serves to cast China as a geopolitical adversary, diverting attention from its own wartime history. "By hyping security threats, Japan aims to reshape its postwar pacifist identity while obscuring the tragic lessons of its 20th-century militarism," he told CGTN Russian.
Economic Ties vs Military Posturing
Despite being China's fourth-largest trading partner in 2025, Japan continues advancing controversial security policies. Analysts suggest this duality—economic interdependence coupled with military escalation—could strain regional cooperation frameworks and endanger civilian populations across East Asia.
