In fact, Abe's NSC is clearly targeting China. It is part of the Japanese government's overall plan of shaking off its post war political shackles. Japan thinks it has to create what it calls the "China threat" theory to seek support from its own people and other Asian countries.

In so doing, Abe is likely to put Japan back on the road to militarism, upsetting the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.

Special Secrecy Law in Japan's chamber politics

[By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]

Once Japan's Special Secrecy Law is formally enforced, the prime minister will be able to make major information regarding the country's diplomacy or defense policies secret. Hence, the opposition will lose its power to balance Abe's recklessness. The Japanese people will also lose their right to access information.

In fact, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s proposal as to introduce this Special Secrecy Law has met with fierce opposition. Those who are against it argue that the Japanese government will become more arbitrary under the law, which also represents a historical retrogression, evocative of imperial Japan during World War II.

The law will give the Japanese government the right to punish government officials who leak "special secrets," but the law fails to provide a detailed description of what the "special secrets" are. That is to say, the present cabinet can use the loophole to arbitrarily increase the scale of secrecy.

Japan's rightist behaviors have already put the rest of Asia and the entire international community on high vigilance.

Abe clearly stated his personal "historical missions" include amending Japan's post war Peace Constitution and enabling the self defense forces (SDF) to exercise collective defense if Japan's allies come under attack.

All the signs show that Abe has a strong will to change post war institutions in Japan.

The authors are from the Institute of Japanese Studies, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The article was originally written in Chinese and translated by Chen Boyuan.

Opinion pieces reflect the authors' own ideas, not necessarily those of China.org.cn