Japanese Parliament asserts Russian-administered islands off Hokkaido are an ‘integral part’ of Japan; New automatic air warning and defense control system initiated; Tokyo protests North Korea’s missile launch
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  • The Japanese Parliament amended a law emphasizing the country’s political authority over disputed islands off Hokkaido by including the provisions that the Russian-administered islands were an ‘integral part’ of Japanese territory. Analysts believed that the move will pose a new hurdle for the settlement of the dispute maritime dispute regarding the region with Russia1.

    Reports noted that a new $935 million project - the Japan Aerospace Defense Ground Environment (JADGE), has been initiated to improve the country's automatic air warning and defense control system. The system is expected to replace the Base Air Defense Ground Environment (BADGE)2.

    Japan’s ASDF Chief of Staff Gen. Kenichiro Hokazono told reporters that Japan had asked the US to provide more information on the F-22 fighter jets as it hopes to acquire the advanced jet despite a US ban against its export. Additional information on the F-35 alternative fighter was also being sought in case the F-22 remains unavailable3.

    Tokyo lodged a strong protest against North Korea over its launching of multiple ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. Reports noted that the country will seek to coordinate with countries such as the US and South Korea in urging other members of the UN to robustly implement UNSC resolutions against Pyongyang as the latest actions were in stark violation of those resolutions4.

    The Japanese Cabinet meanwhile endorsed a revision to a bill extending its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean by another 6 months to help the US-led operation near Afghanistan. The provisions of the law were set to expire on July 15. The mission involves refueling of foreign vessels involved in anti-terror operations by the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF)5.

    A Japanese military spokesperson confirmed that Japan was considering deploying troops on Yonaguni Island in the East China Sea near a group of islets claimed by Tokyo, Beijing and Taipei. Yonaguni is located 120 kilometres east of Taiwan and 170 kilometres south of the uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese6.

    In other developments, Ryohei Murata, 79, who was an administrative vice foreign minister from 1987-1989, acknowledged that a secret agreement existed with the United States that allowed US nuclear weapons on Japanese territory, despite a denial by government sources7.

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