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Japan’s naval chief is set to step down after more than 200 military personnel were disciplined for misconduct including improper handling of classified materials.
This scandal JapanJapan has sought to play a greater security role by working with the United States and other allies to bolster regional deterrence against China, a move pushed back against it by Japan’s Defense Ministry.
The Ministry of Defense said on Friday that it had found 38 cases in which unauthorized individuals in the Maritime Self-Defense Force accessed classified information on the movements of warships. The investigation found no leaks of classified information outside the military.
Others were disciplined for demanding pay for work they had not performed, or for harassing lower-ranking staff by banging on tables or shouting. The punishments ranged from dismissal and pay cuts to reprimands.
“We deeply apologize for betraying the public’s trust,” Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said Friday, promising to return one month’s salary.
Maritime Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Akira Sakai said he would step down effective July 19, adding that the incident should not affect Japan’s security. Plans to increase military spending.
“I believe the fundamental causes are a lack of law-abiding spirit among employees and a lack of organizational governance,” Sakai said at a press conference.
Even before the scandal broke, officials from the United States and other countries had expressed concerns about Japan’s security screening system, and the Japanese government has recently taken steps to bring its procedures in line with international standards.
Japan is coming under renewed scrutiny over its handling of classified information. Deepening military intelligence cooperation India is working with allies such as the United States and Australia and is co-developing new fighter jets with Britain and Italy.
Under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Japan has significantly expanded its defense spending to counter China’s growing military assertiveness and to contribute more to allied security efforts in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. faced public opposition to funding He strengthened his defense posture through tax increases.
In its annual white paper released on Friday, the Defense Ministry said China is expanding its military activities across the region around Japan and Taiwan, posing an “unprecedented and greater strategic challenge.”
“The possibility of increased military activity leading to increased tensions cannot be ignored,” the white paper said.
