分类： politics

Japan’s parliamentary approval of an 18.3 trillion yen ($118 billion) supplementary budget has ignited significant debate about the nation’s fiscal priorities and their societal implications. The budget, passed on Tuesday through the House of Councillors, allocates substantial resources to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s policy initiatives with particular emphasis on defense and security enhancements.

Analysts express growing apprehension that the government’s military expenditure strategy—which includes plans to spend 43 trillion yen ($276 billion) on defense over the next five years—will inevitably constrain funding for essential social welfare programs. This budgetary shift occurs alongside proposed tax increases targeting corporations, tobacco products, and personal income specifically designated for defense financing.

Professor Emeritus Mieko Takenobu of Wako University warned that these fiscal decisions threaten Japan’s social sustainability. “When fiscal resources are diverted from public welfare to continuous military expansion through supplementary budgets, society becomes unsustainable,” Takenobu stated during a recent public event. The academic highlighted how defense spending has exceeded conventional budgetary frameworks while resources for daily living expenses and social security systems face continued reduction.

The financial measures include a proposed special income tax for defense spending scheduled for implementation in January 2027, expected to generate approximately 200 billion yen ($1.3 billion) annually. Combined with other tax adjustments, these measures could collectively yield over 1 trillion yen per year, increasing household financial burdens despite the planned reduction of post-disaster reconstruction taxes.

Beyond domestic concerns, experts identify geopolitical risks in Japan’s budgetary direction. Takenobu characterized Takaichi’s recent statements regarding Taiwan as particularly dangerous, suggesting they undermine Japan’s postwar consensus against military engagement. Regular protests have occurred outside the Prime Minister’s Office for over a month, with citizens demanding retraction of these statements and cessation of military expansion discussions.

Akinobu Ito, president of the Japan-China Workers Exchange Association, echoed these concerns during a memorial event for the Nanjing Massacre, urging public vigilance against national-level dangerous trends and advocating for constitutional adherence rather than revision.

South Korea’s Constitutional Court has delivered a landmark ruling on Thursday, formally dismissing the nation’s impeached police chief for his instrumental role in supporting former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024. Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho became the first National Police Agency chief to be removed from office through constitutional proceedings.

The court determined that Cho actively undermined legislative processes by deploying hundreds of police officers to the National Assembly complex, intentionally obstructing lawmakers from reaching the main chamber to vote on revoking Yoon’s emergency decree. The ruling further condemned Cho’s infringement upon the National Election Commission’s independence by directing police personnel to assist military forces in seizing two NEC offices—actions allegedly justified by unverified claims of electoral fraud.

Evidence presented revealed that Cho and Seoul’s police commissioner were summoned to a secure location hours before the martial law declaration, where they coordinated implementation strategies with Yoon’s defense minister. Following the decree, approximately 300 officers encircled parliamentary entrances alongside heavily armed special operations units with aerial support, creating an unprecedented blockade against legislative activities.

Despite the military-police barricade, a determined group of lawmakers including current President Lee Jae Myung scaled perimeter fences to establish quorum and unanimously overturn Yoon’s order within hours. The court rejected Cho’s defense that his deployments aimed to maintain public order, noting that the extreme measures taken by parliamentarians demonstrated the severity of the obstruction.

Cho, who faced impeachment by legislators and arrest shortly after Yoon’s power grab, was previously granted bail in January due to medical requirements for cancer treatment. He now awaits separate criminal proceedings on rebellion charges, while former President Yoon faces life imprisonment or capital punishment for his central role in the crisis.

Hong Kong political analysts and legal authorities have unanimously characterized convicted media proprietor Jimmy Lai Chee-ying as an instrument of Western geopolitical interests rather than a legitimate advocate for democratic principles. The assessments emerged following Lai’s recent conviction on national security charges, with experts asserting that foreign powers have exploited his case to wage an ideological campaign against China.

Lau Siu-kai, consultant for the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, stated that Western nations have deliberately misrepresented Lai’s legal proceedings to discredit Hong Kong’s judicial system and provoke international condemnation against China. Contrary to Western media narratives alleging improper treatment, Lau noted that Lai testified extensively during his 156-day public trial and maintained visible good health throughout the proceedings.

The High Court of Hong Kong found Lai guilty on December 16th on three criminal counts: two charges of conspiracy to collude with external forces to jeopardize national security and one charge of conspiracy to disseminate seditious publications. The charges relate to his leadership of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper.

Senior counsel and Executive Council member Ronny Tong Ka-wah characterized Lai’s active pursuit of foreign sanctions against Chinese institutions as conduct that ‘bordered on treason’ and harmed his fellow citizens. Tong emphasized that such actions fundamentally contradict internationally recognized definitions of human rights and freedoms.

Legal experts underscored that national security legislation exists universally to protect sovereign interests, though specific threats may vary between nations. They observed that Western countries typically face different security challenges than those confronting nations subject to external political interference.

Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, prominent Hong Kong politician, dismissed concerns about diminishing expressive freedoms in the territory as unfounded and biased. Citing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, she explained that freedom of expression carries inherent responsibilities and may be lawfully constrained to protect national security, public order, and social morality.

Ip pointed to vigorous public discourse surrounding recent incidents in Hong Kong, including extensive coverage of a major fire in Tai Po, as evidence of the territory’s thriving freedom of expression. These discussions have prompted critical examinations of institutional frameworks and exposed systemic issues requiring reform.

The Western criticism of Lai’s conviction has prompted counter-demonstrations, with Hong Kong residents and organizations gathering outside diplomatic missions of the United States, Britain, and Australia to protest perceived interference with the region’s judicial independence.

Diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh have reached a critical juncture as security concerns surrounding India’s diplomatic missions in Dhaka trigger formal protests. The Indian government has officially summoned Bangladeshi envoy Riaz Hamidullah to express serious apprehensions regarding what it describes as deteriorating security conditions caused by extremist elements.

This diplomatic action follows recent demonstrations in Bangladesh where protesters attempted to march toward the Indian High Commission, demanding the repatriation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The exiled leader has resided in India since August 2024 when student-led protests forced her from power, creating ongoing tension between the neighboring nations.

The interim government of Bangladesh, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and preparing for February 12 elections, finds itself at the center of this diplomatic storm. Dhaka had previously summoned India’s envoy to protest what it called ‘incendiary statements’ allegedly made by Hasina from Indian territory, which Bangladesh claims aim to undermine the upcoming electoral process.

Complicating matters further, a Bangladeshi court recently sentenced Hasina to death for her alleged role in authorizing lethal force against protesters, resulting in approximately 1,400 casualties during last year’s unrest. Hasina has vehemently denied these allegations, characterizing them as politically motivated attempts to eliminate her Awami League party from the political landscape.

The situation has escalated with recent statements from Hasnat Abdullah, leader of Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party, who suggested that Bangladesh might shelter separatist groups targeting India’s northeastern states if Delhi continues to ‘destabilize’ Dhaka. This reference to the strategically vulnerable ‘Seven Sisters’ region has added another layer of complexity to the already strained bilateral relationship.

India has categorically rejected these assertions and expressed disappointment that the interim government has not conducted thorough investigations or shared substantive evidence regarding recent incidents. As political tensions intensify ahead of the elections, India has taken the precautionary measure of temporarily closing its visa application center in Dhaka, rescheduling appointments for security reasons.