The 1947 Constitution following Japan’s World War II surrender commits troops to purely defensive purposes. The Communist government has made World War II history such a big issue that its anti-Japanese pronouncements fanned destructive mass demonstrations around China in 2005. Not another world war, but...China probably knows Japan is unlikely to start a war. The widening reach of Japan’s military also threatens China’s overall superpower status in Asia. Like China, Japan is spreading development aid far past its own borders, including arms sales to Southeast Asian countries that dispute Beijing’s maritime claims.

Source: Forbes October 30, 2017 09:00 UTC