Will President Xi raise [Japan’s
submarine assistance to Taiwan] when Japan’s Prime Minister Abe visits China around
October 23, 2018?
This is at a time Abe is pushing for a rapprochement with China as a leverage against the US’s imminent tariffs on Japanese cars and components. Also Japan wishes to counter US pressure upon Japan to open its agricultural markets (a strategic electoral issue in Japan).
How is Abe going to respond to Xi?
On defense matters, Abe cannot deny that he knows nothing, or cannot do anything, about [MHI and KHI] retirees looking for jobs as contractors on Taiwan's submarine project.
Geopolitically, [this Anonymous] has doubts on the staying power of Japanese or South Korean submarine technical assistance to Taiwan when China starts pressuring those countries.
This is at a time Abe is pushing for a rapprochement with China as a leverage against the US’s imminent tariffs on Japanese cars and components. Also Japan wishes to counter US pressure upon Japan to open its agricultural markets (a strategic electoral issue in Japan).
How is Abe going to respond to Xi?
On defense matters, Abe cannot deny that he knows nothing, or cannot do anything, about [MHI and KHI] retirees looking for jobs as contractors on Taiwan's submarine project.
Geopolitically, [this Anonymous] has doubts on the staying power of Japanese or South Korean submarine technical assistance to Taiwan when China starts pressuring those countries.
Abe basically has nothing to say to Xi except the fact that they are private citizens and are not doing anything against JP laws so the government cannot stop them .
ReplyDeleteIn the past when ROC lost the civil war on the mainland against PRC and PRC moved further to seize Quemoy, a former Japanese Imperial General, Nemoto Hiroshi went to Fight the PRC as a military strategic advisor after the US withdrew from Taiwan taking command at the Battle of Guningtou which ultimately saved Taiwan from being engulfed by PLA.
Here is another tid-bit from the past.
ReplyDeleteThere was a secret military advisory group called the Paidan led by former Japanese Imperial Army general Tomita Naosuke AKA Hakue Ryo with 13 other former JIA officers who taught and trained the ROC military after the war which became the basis of ROC officer training.
They were active till 1969.
Thanks Tri-ring for those pieces on information.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Pete
A peace treaty between Japan and the PRC was only signed in August 1978 and came into effect in October 1978.
ReplyDeleteLegally, these engineers are retired and are private citizens. But even in the US, on defense, even advisories to a foreign power as in this instance will need to be approved by the State department and other governmental authorities.
In the US maybe, but here in Japan no such thing.
ReplyDeleteThey were never employed by the government or given top secret clearance in a military facility since technically there is no military in Japan due to the present constitution.
The only thing they were bound by was a NDA which has a 10 years statue of limitation.
Hi Anonymous [at 6/10/18 8:28 AM] on legal restrictions on Japanese and US contractors working in and/or for Taiwan.
ReplyDeleteI would say for the submarine sector all sorts of intellectual property, commercial-in-confidence, licensing and national security secrecy laws, political and social expectations and conventions govern "retired" employee activities and behaviour especially working with/for foreign governments/companies.
So I agree US and Japanese contractors working to or in Taiwan would be there with implicit or more likely explicit approval of their respective US and Japanese Governments.
Regards
Pete
Hi Tri-ring [6/10/18 11:13 AM]
ReplyDeleteIn Japan (defense or otherwise) highly restricted Commercia-in-Confidence would cover all sorts of defence products (like submarines and their components).
eg. KHI and MHI employees publicising (or passing to China or Russia) the exact, detailed, formula for NS110 submarine pressure hull steel or the latest Japanese submarine diesel plans would be in considerable trouble from their companies and the MoD.
Regards
Pete