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By Gil Yun-hyung, Tokyo correspondent

Even while visiting the Hudson Institute, a conservative American think tank, on Sept. 25, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pulled no punches. He made this remark as he was emphasizing the necessity of interpreting the Japanese constitution to justify collective self-defense, a position he is currently pushing.

“The military expenditures of our next-door neighbor are at the least twice that of Japan, and it is second in the world after the US,” Abe said. That country [China] has been increasing its defense budget 10% each year over the past 20 years, but this year we barely increased ours by 0.8%, the first such increase in 11 years.”

“So call me, if you want, a right-wing militarist,” he said.

As soon as Abe said this, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Sept. 27, the auditorium erupted in applause. The paper noted that the Abe’s audience included many analysts who are critical of China.

In Japan, there are various strains of analysis as to why Abe is making controversial, tactless comments on the international stage.

In February of this year, just after his inauguration as prime minister, Abe said that “Japan is back” at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. This past July, he prevaricated to members of the International Olympic Committee, claiming that the situation at Fukushima was under control. The committee members were deciding whether the 2020 Summer Olympics would be held in Tokyo or elsewhere.

After urging Americans that they should buy into his Abenomics to help the world economy recover during a visit to the New York Stock Exchange on this recent trip, Abe let fly the bold remark that could be viewed as a diplomatic gaffe by China and other Asian countries.

In an analysis on Sept. 27, the Yomiuri Shimbun described these self-assured statements as Abe’s signature style. The piece suggested that Abe’s strong approval rating at home and US support on the issue of the right to collective self-defense allow him to shoot from the hip in this way.

And indeed, the US has continued to call on Japan to take on a greater role in maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Not only that, but with US facing financial difficulties in recent years, US President Barack Obama has had no choice but to expect a lot from Abe and his aggressive attitude toward the right to collective self-defense.

In addition, Abe has done favors for Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines since taking office, and these countries are also adopting a positive attitude toward Japan expanding its military role in order to counter the growth of China.

However, there are also those who warn Abe to tone down his extreme remarks.

Resolving the issue of North Korean nuclear weapons requires an alliance between the US, Japan, and South Korea and a cooperative relationship with China. However, Abe’s denial of Japan’s wars of aggression and the ongoing territorial disputes have brought an unprecedented chill to the country’s relationships with South Korea and China.

Perhaps for these reasons, when Abe made a speech before the UN general assembly on Sept. 26, he refrained from any direct remarks about exercising the right to collective self-defense. Instead, he only called for “active pacifism,” indicating that Japan would take a more active role in UN peacekeeping activities.

Nevertheless, everyone is well aware that the concept of “active pacifism” that Abe advocates is connected with collective self-defense.

“In order to flesh out the new concept of ‘active pacifism’ that Abe has offered, it will be necessary for the Japanese government to update its constitutional interpretation regarding the right to collective self-defense,” the Yomiuri Shimbun argued in a Sept. 27 editorial. “This is also what is demanded by the current age,” the paper said.

Abe’s declaration is understood as representing a massive change in directions for Japan. Thanks to its “Peace Constitution,” which bans belligerent action and prevents the country from possessing an army, Japan developed into an economic powerhouse in the 60 years after World War II. But these remarks suggest a shift from the country’s former passivity to more active involvement in international problems.

Expectations are that Abe’s administration will accelerate efforts to alter its interpretation of the constitution to permit the exercise of the right to collective self-defense.

Abe devoted the second half of his speech to creating a society in which women can flourish, but he was silent on the issue of the so-called comfort women, who were forced to become sex slaves for the Japanese army during World War II.

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