China's growing military might has replaced North Korean belligerence as the main security threat to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaishankar-mike-pompeo-japans-motegi-hold-talks-on-maritime-security-connectivity-in-indo-pacific-region-252285">Japan</a>, Tokyo's annual defence review indicated on Thursday, despite signs that Pyongyang could have nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.

The document's security assessment on China comes after a section on Japan's ally, the United States, the first time Beijing has achieved second place in the Defence White Paper and pushing North Korea into third position.

Russia, deemed by Japan as its primary threat during the Cold War, was in fourth place.

"The reality is that China is rapidly increasing military spending, and so people can grasp that we need more pages," Minister of Defence Taro Kono said at a media briefing. "China is deploying air and sea assets in the Western Pacific and through the Tsushima Strait into the Sea of Japan with greater frequency."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/inflation-by-stealth-how-japans-firms-fight-the-frugal-retail-psyche-252119">Japan has raised defence spending</a>&nbsp;by a tenth over the past seven years to counter military advances by Beijing and Pyongyang, including defences against North Korean missiles which may carry nuclear warheads, the paper said.

North Korea has conducted short-range missile launches this year that Tokyo believes show Pyongyang is developing projectiles to evade its Aegis ballistic missile defences.

To stay ahead of China's modernising military, Japan is buying US-made stealth fighters and other advanced weapons.

In its latest budget request, Japan's military asked for&nbsp;$1.1 billion&nbsp;to buy nine Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters, including six short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variants to operate from converted helicopter carriers.

The stealth jets, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-announces-first-stage-of-phenomenal-japan-trade-deal-252091">US-made</a> interceptor missiles and other equipment are part of a proposed 1.2 per cent&nbsp;increase in defence spending to a record 5.32 trillion Yen in the year starting April 1.

By comparison, Chinese military spending is set to rise this year by 7.5 per cent&nbsp;to about $177 billion from 2018, more than three times that of Japan. Beijing is developing weapons such as stealth fighters and aircraft carriers that are helping it expand the range and scope of military operations.

Once largely confined to operating close to the Chinese coast, Beijing now routinely sends its air and sea patrols near Japan's western Okinawa islands and into the Western Pacific.

China has frequently rebuffed concerns about its military spending and intentions, including a ramped-up presence in the disputed South China Sea, and says it only desires peaceful development.

The Defence White Paper said Chinese patrols in waters and skies near Japanese territory are "a national security concern".

The paper downgraded fellow US&nbsp;ally, South Korea, which recently pulled out of an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan amid a spat over their shared wartime history. That could weaken efforts to contain North Korean threats, analysts said.

Other partners, including Australia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India, feature more prominently in the defence paper.

"It's a reflection of the level of cooperation we undertake with each partner," a Defence Ministry official said at an earlier briefing.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/talks-between-us-north-korea-may-resume-in-2-3-weeks-251650">South Korean government</a> officials took issue with the White Paper's reference to the ownership of an island in the Sea of Japan that is also claimed and controlled by South Korea. The outcrop is known as Dokdo in Seoul and Takeshima in Tokyo.

"Our government strongly protests Japan's repeated claim. The Japanese government should acknowledge that it is not helpful for bilateral relations," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement.

China's growing military might has replaced North Korean belligerence as the main security threat to Japan, Tokyo's annual defence review indicated on Thursday, despite signs that Pyongyang could have nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.

China's growing military might has replaced North Korean belligerence as the main security threat to Japan, Tokyo's annual defence review indicated on Thursday, despite signs that Pyongyang could have nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. The document's security assessment on China comes after a section on Japan's ally, the United States, the first time Beijing has achieved second place in the Defence White Paper and pushing North Korea into third position. Russia, deemed by Japan as its primary threat during the Cold War, was in fourth place. "The reality is that China is rapidly increasing military spending, and so people can grasp that we need more pages," Minister of Defence Taro Kono said at a media briefing. "China is deploying air and sea assets in the Western Pacific and through the Tsushima Strait into the Sea of Japan with greater frequency." Japan has raised defence spending by a tenth over the past seven years to counter military advances by Beijing and Pyongyang, including defences against North Korean missiles which may carry nuclear warheads, the paper said. North Korea has conducted short-range missile launches this year that Tokyo believes show Pyongyang is developing projectiles to evade its Aegis ballistic missile defences. To stay ahead of China's modernising military, Japan is buying US-made stealth fighters and other advanced weapons. In its latest budget request, Japan's military asked for $1.1 billion to buy nine Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters, including six short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variants to operate from converted helicopter carriers. The stealth jets, US-made interceptor missiles and other equipment are part of a proposed 1.2 per cent increase in defence spending to a record 5.32 trillion Yen in the year starting April 1. By comparison, Chinese military spending is set to rise this year by 7.5 per cent to about $177 billion from 2018, more than three times that of Japan. Beijing is developing weapons such as stealth fighters and aircraft carriers that are helping it expand the range and scope of military operations. Once largely confined to operating close to the Chinese coast, Beijing now routinely sends its air and sea patrols near Japan's western Okinawa islands and into the Western Pacific. China has frequently rebuffed concerns about its military spending and intentions, including a ramped-up presence in the disputed South China Sea, and says it only desires peaceful development. The Defence White Paper said Chinese patrols in waters and skies near Japanese territory are "a national security concern". The paper downgraded fellow US ally, South Korea, which recently pulled out of an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan amid a spat over their shared wartime history. That could weaken efforts to contain North Korean threats, analysts said. Other partners, including Australia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India, feature more prominently in the defence paper. "It's a reflection of the level of cooperation we undertake with each partner," a Defence Ministry official said at an earlier briefing. South Korean government officials took issue with the White Paper's reference to the ownership of an island in the Sea of Japan that is also claimed and controlled by South Korea. The outcrop is known as Dokdo in Seoul and Takeshima in Tokyo. "Our government strongly protests Japan's repeated claim. The Japanese government should acknowledge that it is not helpful for bilateral relations," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Japan promotes China as bigger threat than nuclear-armed North Korea

Japan on Thursday began to examine the suspected nose cone of a North Korean rocket that washed up on a Japanese beach hoping to glean information on the reclusive state&#39;s ballistic missile programme a day after it test-launched two more missiles. 
 
The red, white and blue item, believed to be half of the nose cone designed to protect the rocket&#39;s payload, was found on a beach in western Japan last Thursday and is suspected to come from a long-range, three-stage rocket fired by North Korea on February 7 that flew over Japan&#39;s southwest Okinawa island chain. 
 
South Korean authorities recovered the other half. 
 
&quot;We will analyse the materials and the level of technology used,&quot; a Japanese ministry of defence official said after the part was delivered by truck to the ministry. 
 
The pockmarked 75 kg (165 lb) part, almost two metres wide and over a metre wide, lay on a blanket and blue tarpaulin in a forecourt at the ministry. 
 
The February launch, which North Korea said put a satellite into orbit hundreds of kilometres above Earth, came just weeks after Pyongyang carried out a nuclear bomb test, both in defiance of UN resolutions and sanctions. 
 
Concern that North Korea is getting closer to perfecting its ballistic missile technology heightened on Wednesday after it fired what appeared to be two intermediate range ballistic missiles. 
 
While the first was deemed a failure, the second rocket climbed to more than 1,000 km before plunging into the Sea of Japan 400 km down range from the launch sight. 
 
&quot;For Japan, it raises deep concern over our national security,&quot; Japan&#39;s top military commander, Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, said today in Tokyo. 
 
The next step for Pyongyang could be to miniaturise its nuclear bomb technology into a warhead that fits on the missile. 
 
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said after supervising Wednesday&#39;s launches that the country now had the capability to attack US interests in the Pacific, official media reported. 
 
(Reuters)

The nose cone is suspected to come from the three-stage rocket that was fired by the North on February 7

Japan on Thursday began to examine the suspected nose cone of a North Korean rocket that washed up on a Japanese beach hoping to glean information on the reclusive state's ballistic missile programme a day after it test-launched two more missiles. The red, white and blue item, believed to be half of the nose cone designed to protect the rocket's payload, was found on a beach in western Japan last Thursday and is suspected to come from a long-range, three-stage rocket fired by North Korea on February 7 that flew over Japan's southwest Okinawa island chain. South Korean authorities recovered the other half. "We will analyse the materials and the level of technology used," a Japanese ministry of defence official said after the part was delivered by truck to the ministry. The pockmarked 75 kg (165 lb) part, almost two metres wide and over a metre wide, lay on a blanket and blue tarpaulin in a forecourt at the ministry. The February launch, which North Korea said put a satellite into orbit hundreds of kilometres above Earth, came just weeks after Pyongyang carried out a nuclear bomb test, both in defiance of UN resolutions and sanctions. Concern that North Korea is getting closer to perfecting its ballistic missile technology heightened on Wednesday after it fired what appeared to be two intermediate range ballistic missiles. While the first was deemed a failure, the second rocket climbed to more than 1,000 km before plunging into the Sea of Japan 400 km down range from the launch sight. "For Japan, it raises deep concern over our national security," Japan's top military commander, Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, said today in Tokyo. The next step for Pyongyang could be to miniaturise its nuclear bomb technology into a warhead that fits on the missile. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said after supervising Wednesday's launches that the country now had the capability to attack US interests in the Pacific, official media reported. (Reuters)

Japan examines suspected North Korean rocket nose cone amid growing missile concerns

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Japan promotes China as bigger threat than nuclear-armed North Korea

Japan examines suspected North Korean rocket nose cone amid growing missile concerns