Two Western newspapers: In the midst of a crazy arms race, America's allies in Asia are preparing for a possible war with China

The US allies in East Asia believe that confrontation between Beijing and Washington has become inevitable, and that they must prepare for it, which prompted Japan to double its military spending, and made South Korea plan to obtain the atomic bomb, either by importing or manufacturing it, and forcing Taiwan to extend the period of military service.

With these sentences, we can summarize what the French newspaper L'Obs and Swiss Le Temps said in their readings of the geostrategic scene in Asia, after the multiple Russian-Chinese air operations that were carried out in 2022 over the Sea of ​​Japan, and after the military stance. The Chinese, which not only led to damage to the image of Beijing, but also to strategic revisions in the neighboring capitals.

Asian arms race

And if concern is legitimate about Europe's rearmament in light of the war in Ukraine, Asia is also witnessing an unprecedented arms race - according to Lotan - as Japan decided, prompted by the growing threat posed by China and North Korea, to double its military spending over the next five years.

As for South Korea, which began planning to obtain the atomic bomb - according to Lopes - it must withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which it ratified in 1975, citing Pyongyang's announcement of the possible use of nuclear weapons against it, as well as the very rapid growth of the Chinese atomic arsenal.

In Taiwan, which represents - according to the newspaper - a "powder keg" that can set the world on fire, reform begins with extending the period of compulsory military service from 4 months to a year, because "the current military service is not sufficient to respond to the ever-changing and rapid situation," she said. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, hinting at the growing threats posed by China to this region.

In this context, other Asian countries are increasing their military spending in light of the Chinese threat. Indonesia recently decided to acquire French Rafale aircraft and can buy American F-35s and Indian-Filipino supersonic missiles.

New alliances

Loebs newspaper reviewed the impact of the rise of China on Japan, which decided to double its military spending, and added new alliances to its traditional alliance, which it reactivated and reaffirmed with the United States, as security partnerships were announced with the United Kingdom and Italy, and the Japanese and Indian air forces are conducting these days joint military exercises for the first Once.

Although its constitution is still peaceful, Tokyo is making a radical change in its military doctrine and officially abandoning its strict defense stance to gain the ability to respond, including to the missile launch sites installed in China, because "the world is at a historic crossroads," he says. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

And with its new security strategy, Japan will acquire - according to Lotan - a counterattack force that increases its deterrence capacity, to become an actor working to stabilize the Indian and Pacific Oceans region, especially as it feels the need to compensate for the relative decline of American power in the region due to the rise of Chinese and North Korean military power. .

New division of labor

Lionel Faton, assistant professor of international relations at Webster University in Geneva, believes that the Japanese concern stems from the massive development of the Chinese military forces, which are growing steadily, bypassing the US fleet, especially since the tension between Tokyo and Beijing continues due to the Senkaku Islands that are controlled by Japan and China claims its ownership. Even Chinese ships spent more than 73 hours in Japanese territorial waters off the coast of the Senkaku.

In the arms race in the region, military spending increased by 52.7% between 2010 and 2020, due, among other things, to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's promises to develop his nuclear arsenal, as experts agree that Pyongyang can get 300 nuclear weapons in the coming years, which will put it ahead of France and the United Kingdom, and will push South Korea to search for nuclear weapons, according to Lotan.

Lionel Fatton concluded - in Lotan's report - that these developments involve a new division of labor in the region, where the axis of South Korea and the United States is concerned with controlling North Korea, and the axis of the United States and Japan is concerned with the issue of Taiwan, which is constantly getting hotter.