CIAO DATE: 03/2010
February 2010
Finnish Institute for International Affairs
A contradiction lingers between Japan’s defence policy and its ambitions for a stable East Asian security architecture. On the one hand, Japan is seeking examples of European international institutions upon which to lay the foundations of an East Asian regional institution that would consolidate a peaceful formation of co-existence among the region’s nations. On the other hand, Japanese defence officials have been aspiring to deploy a ballistic missile defence (bmd) as a deterrent against North Korea, yet these plans run a high risk of becoming a stumbling block to Japan’s ambitions of institutionalized stability.
Resource link: Hitting a moving target: Implications of Japan's missile defence [PDF] - 733K