Great Power contentions

[spmetla]

ANALYSIS-With an eye on China, Japan's ruling party makes unprecedented defense spending pledge
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...?ocid=msedgntp

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) included a goal of spending 2% of GDP - about $100 billion - or more on the military for the first time in its policy platform ahead of a national election this month.

Experts don't expect new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to double spending anytime soon, given Japan's debt-saddled public finances and a pandemic-stricken economy. But it is a sign that the pacifist nation could over time abandon a commitment to keep military budgets within 1% of GDP - a number that for decades has eased concern at home and abroad about any revival of the militarism that led Japan into World War Two.

"LDP conservative leaders want the party to give it up," said Yoichiro Sato, an international relations professor at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, referring to the de facto spending cap, which he called "sacrosanct for Japanese liberals."

Japan’s Largest Warship Launches U.S. Marine F-35s; First Fighters to Fly from Japanese Ship Since WWII
https://news.usni.org/2021/10/05/vid...hip-since-wwii

Two Marine Corps F-35B Lighting II Joint Strike Fighters took off and landed on Japan’s largest warship, JS Izumo (DDH-183), on Oct.3, marking the first time that fixed-wing aircraft have operated off a Japanese warship since World War II.

The two F-35Bs from the “Bats” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242 flew from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, to operate on Izumo to test modifications to the big deck warship so the short takeoff, vertical landing (STOVL) version of the F-35 can operate from the ship.

Looks like Japan is ramping up their Defense spending in response to China's recent actions and increase in spending. The decision to modify their "Helicopter Destroyers" into "Multipurpose Ships" ie Light Aircraft Carriers is certainly significant as Japan has avoided 'offensive' military hardware since WWII.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ation-in-media

China unveiled a proposal late Friday, reinforcing its plan to weaken private capital’s influence over a wide range of media activities.

Private capital would be barred from news gathering and distribution operations, according to a public consultation paper posted on the website of National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planner.

Also off-limits would be private investments in the establishment and operation of news outlets, including news agencies, newspaper publishers and broadcasters. They will also not be permitted to reproduce news content generated by foreign media.

The move is the latest salvo in China’s broad regulatory crackdown this year on companies in industries including ride-hailing, e-commerce and after-school tutoring. The MSCI China Index has sunk 16% this year on concerns about global inflation and interest rates, geopolitical tensions, how the new regulations would reshape businesses and where Beijing might strike next.

The proposed bans are part of a broader document that also touches on entry barriers for various other industries including finance, Internet and agriculture. The seven-day public consultation is scheduled to end Oct. 14.

While it wasn’t immediately clear whether the proposed restrictions unveiled Friday are fresh curbs or incremental rules designed to close loopholes that private investors had exploited, they do signal regulators’ intent to step up enforcement.

Private capital would further be banned from live streaming events that may sway political and public opinion, according to the proposal. That includes those in the realms of politics, the economy, military and foreign policy, and important social, cultural, scientific and sports events.

This would be a hell of a change in their already controlled media environment. Would be crazy to revert to only State approved media outlets and new sources. China is doing an incredible job of transforming themselves into everything considered oppressive and evil to the 'free world.'

Not being able to reproduce news from foreign outlets will certainly limit any ability for the US to try and engage the Chinese population to sell our side of the story on anything. I imagine access to Voice of America in Mandarin will certainly be banned if it wasn't already.
https://www.voachinese.com/

Huawei Rejected by Three in Four Canadians on Eve of 5G Decision
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/huawei-r...sion-1.1664829

More than 75% of Canadians say that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government should ban China’s Huawei Technologies Co. from taking part in the build-out of fifth-generation telecommunications networks, a new poll shows.

Opposition to Huawei’s participation in 5G is up from 53% in 2019, according to the poll by Nanos Research for the Globe and Mail released on Monday. Trudeau hasn’t ruled out including Huawei and is expected to make a decision soon.

The choice by Canadian voters to reject Huawei in their communications systems is certainly an indicator of how China's reputation abroad and that of its companies has changed for the worse.