Japan's lawmakers line up to cast their ballots during a plenary session for a vote on security laws at the upper house of the parliament in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept. 19, 2015. Japan abandoned its 70-year pacifism since the end of World War II as the parliament's upper house on early Saturday enacted a controversial legislation pushed forward by the government under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)
BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The enactment of Japan's controversial security bills on Saturday marked an overhaul of the country's purely defensive defense posture and has buried a seed of disaster for both Japan and other countries in the region.
The process during which the security bills got enacted is actually a perfect example of how irresponsible politicians can hijack public opinion for their own dangerous ambition.
Over the past weeks, tens of thousands of Japanese have taken to the streets to vent their anger on almost daily basis. The prospect of their loved ones being sent to fight overseas for another country's sake even prompted those who were normally indifferent to politics to participate in the rallies.
Deep-running concern over the bills among Japanese voters has also taken its toll on the popularity of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his government. Various polls this week showed that Abe's approval ratings fell to all-time lows.
But it appears that the hawkish prime minister and like-minded lawmakers remained unmoved by public opinion, or probably they are just too busy relishing their "victory" and have no time for attention.
They may have good reasons to take pride in staging a feat to "unbind Japan from the restraints" of the pacifist constitution, but the rosy pictures they paint could hardly dispel domestic qualms that the bills could drag Japan into an unwanted war.
It is worth noting that Japan owes its rapid development and economic prosperity in the past decades partially to its promise of peace after its defeat in World War II (WWII). Any deviation from the peaceful path may cost the country heavily in economic terms.
Due to historical reasons, Japan's policies and moves in the security area has been drawing attention from its Asian neighbors.
China on Saturday urged Japan to act prudently after the enactment of the bills, calling on the Japanese government to learn lessons from history, listen to the just appeal of its people and the international community and pay attention to security concerns of its neighbors.
"The legislation's enactment marks an unprecedented move that Japan has taken after World War II," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei in a press release, urging Japan to stick to a peaceful development road and act prudently in the military security field.
Internationally, the enactment collides with the trend of peace, development and cooperation, raising doubts from the international community on whether the country would abandon its defensive policy and peaceful development road.
It would be a grave mockery of the post-WWII world order, especially in a year when the international community is marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII -- the bloodiest war in human history.
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Japan enacts controversial security laws amid strong opposition
TOKYO, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Japan abandoned its 70-year pacifism since the end of World War II as the parliament's upper house on early Saturday enacted a controversial legislation pushed by the government under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The legislation's enactment marked an overhaul in Japan's purely defensive defense posture, meaning the country could dispatch its troops overseas to engage in armed conflicts for the first time in seven decades. Full Story
News Analysis: Japan's pacifist ideals stripped as Abe steps closer to resurrecting old war machine
TOKYO, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Following intense wrangling in Japan's upper house of parliament between the coalition led by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and opposition parties, culminating in frantic chaos as lawmakers opposed to the war bills tried to physically impede a final round of debate in the upper caucus, the controversial legislation was eventually enacted early Saturday that marks the biggest security shift in Japan in 70 years.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's contentious war bills were passed despite the best, albeit last minute, ditch attempts by the opposition camp to block the bills' passage into law, which included submitting a number of no-confidence and censure motions against ruling party and Diet members, Abe's Cabinet and, indeed, the prime minister himself. Full story
Commentary: Japan takes step toward old militarism with new war stance
TOKYO, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Japan's military stance has potentially become more dangerous as its hawkish and historical revisionist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe now holds an active war button following the country's parliament in the early hours of Saturday enacting laws that could usher Japan into war again for the first time in 70 years.
The overturning of Japan's 70-year defense posture was finished in less than three years since Abe returned to power in late 2012. The extraordinary efficiency, however, was never seen to be utilized to revive Japan's 20-year stagnant economy by the prime minister who vowed to prioritize economic issues. Full story
China Voice: Is Japan bound up to battle chariot?
BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- No nation is more alert than China when Japan's ruling coalition was trying a final push on Friday to enact the unpopular security bills that will expand the role of the country's Self-Defense Forces (SDF).
Eerily, Sept. 18 this year marks the 84th anniversary of the invasion of northeast China by Japanese troops. Full story
