In response to the escalating provocations from the Chinese Communist Party, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan is accelerating the amendment of the constitution to explicitly include the Self-Defense Forces and empower the government to issue “emergency orders” in times of crisis. Taiwanese military experts believe that China has multiple objectives in its actions against Japan and that only through strength can China’s hegemonic expansion be truly deterred.
On September 2nd, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan held a plenary meeting of its Constitutional Reform Headquarters, passing the key points of the amendment, which aims to add the Self-Defense Forces as part of Article 9 of the constitution and seek the government’s authority to issue “emergency orders” in emergency situations.
Speaking at the meeting, LDP President and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated, “We will accelerate discussions on various constitutional reforms, including incorporating the Self-Defense Forces into the constitution, so that these issues can be decided by a national referendum. We are ready to proceed with this.”
Among the candidates for the next president of the LDP, former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who currently holds the highest approval ratings in polls, emphasized the importance of creating an environment where Self-Defense Force personnel are recognized by the constitution and can proudly fulfill their duties. Another senior politician, Shigeru Ishiba, who ranks second in the polls, has long advocated for fundamental changes to Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution and expressed affirmation towards including the Self-Defense Forces in the constitution, stating that “this is not the end.”
According to a report by the Nikkei newspaper on August 30th, discussions on the positioning of the Self-Defense Forces in the constitution were concluded as early as 2018 during the administration of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Among the four proposed amendments to the constitution, two were related to defense: explicitly enshrining the Self-Defense Forces in the constitution and strengthening response to emergencies.
Regarding the issuance of emergency orders by the Cabinet in emergency situations to substitute for laws, it is specified that such actions must conform to constitutional provisions. Emergencies include abnormal and large-scale disasters, armed attacks, terrorist incidents, internal unrest, and the spread of infectious diseases.
On May 3rd of this year, Japan marked the 77th anniversary of the implementation of its Constitution. According to a survey conducted by NHK at that time, 36% of Japanese citizens believed that it was “necessary” to amend the constitution, while 19% believed it was “unnecessary.” As for the necessity of amending Article 9 of the constitution, 31% of respondents felt it was necessary, while 29% did not. Among those who believed amending Article 9 was necessary, 60% chose “clearly stating the ability to defend in the constitution” as the reason.
Under Japanese law, amending the constitution requires the approval of two-thirds of the members of the Diet, followed by a national referendum, which must garner at least half of the votes to be implemented. Securing support from other political parties in the future will be crucial.