CCTV9英语新闻：Chinese scholar: Japan gov't should listen to public

Japanese Prime Minister Shizo Abe has announced that he will attend September's G20 Summit, in East China's Hangzhou city.  In what many see as a contradiction, Abe says he wants more dialogue with China.

 

Amid strong opposition from the public and some lawmakers, Japan's new security bills have been approved and enacted from Tuesday. 

 

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition rammed the bills through parliament last year...allowing its Self-Defence Forces to fight abroad, the first-time ever since the end of World War Two 70 years ago.

 

Its immediate consequence, China's analysts believe, is Japan's closer military alliance with the United States.

 

"Basically Japan will beef up its military cooperation with US in this region, for example in South China Sea.. Japan is potentially could be more engaged in US operations in this region, which will destabilize the region. I would say the Japanese public won't allow the defense forces go too far away from their own country, it's the US-Japan alliance, in which Japan will play a more active or larger role in this region," said professor Gui Yongtao, Peking University.

 

Reports say over 90 percent of Japan's constitutional experts see the bills as violating its supreme law which bans fighting overseas. 

 

On Sunday, young Japanese rallied across the country to oppose the enactment. 

 

Given its wartime past, there are concerns in Chinese media on whether Japan will readopt militarism as it did during World War II. 

 

Professor Gui questions the long-term direction of Japan's defense policy.

 

"The Japanese defense policy is still to large extent constrained by its public opinions, which are still pacifist. Also determined by overall American strategy in this region. I believe Japan's fundamentally changing its defense policy, but this change could be incremental rather than drastic," Professor Gui said.