Japan Digging its Own Graveyard?

All right, hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends, where truth matters. Very, very excited to be with you on this April 8th. I got an interesting topic for you. Japan is expanding its military presence in certain islands near South China Sea. What does it mean and why is it important? Because anytime we hear about Japan, you all know what comes to mind. So this is what I'm going to be detailing for you and provide you an analysis about, uh, given the other, uh, trends that's taking place geopolitically. And of course, we have to take into consideration other aspects of what's going on with Japan, the US, and the Philippines regarding their upcoming meeting in Washington, DC in few days from now. So this is what I'm going to be talking to you today. Before I do this, let me say quickly hi to everybody. Uh, Lamer Pots, good to see you as always. White Fox, good to see you as always. Lucio Delgado, Truth Seeker, uh, YT, Macian Dorcier, Army with Harmony, good to see you. Hamad City, as always, say hello. Uh, Juan Casey, Musa A, good to see you as always. All right guys, Avengers to Rescue USA, good to see you. Uh, this is what I'm gonna be talking about, but before I'll, I'll start, uh, officially everything here, uh, be on the lookout. I have not confirmed yet, but most likely I will have, uh, an upcoming interview with Dr. Ken Hammond on Friday the 12th, and I will post for you once it's confirmed. But so far, most likely we will do this interview on Friday. I'm also reaching out to some other individuals. Some of you have suggested some names. It takes a while for to hear a response, but anyway, I am working on this and we will, uh, I will let you know when I get to that. So, all right, as I mentioned, today's topic, for those who might not know, we will be talking about, uh, uh, how it's surprisingly that Japan now is considering expanding sort of new military units, in, in the bases near, uh, uh, South China Sea and so forth. This is, uh, specifically with one particular unit that just took place this month, a new, uh, one that's been deployed near, uh, Yonaguni base. That's where it's going to be. It's about 50 personnel, and, and I'll tell you what it does and what it's going to be doing. And this, by the way, uh, my analysis will be a reaction to an article that I came across from, uh, Nikkei Asia, and it was specifically article written by Akira Kitado. So I'll give credit to the writer of the article, but I am going to react to it because the article didn't address certain aspects that I am going to be talking about. So, uh, so we need to ask the key questions, and the key questions we need to ask are those right here. All right, the first one: Why now? The timing. Always, always, always in geopolitical aspects, timing is crucial. Why the Middle East tensions all of a sudden now? Why, for example, uh, this, this aspects of Japan all of a sudden thinking about, uh, expanding its military presence certain islands? Why the Philippines is pivoting to the US? Why ASEAN is pivoting to China? Uh, you know, always you have to ask why within the context of the timing of it. Second thing is this, or second question rather, is this an anticipation of an upcoming conflict in Asia? You know, and of course it doesn't take a genius to figure this out as to when you consider what Nairo has announced as far as opening an office in, uh, in, in Tokyo. And you all remember I had this with the I asked Larry Johnson when I had him here last time the same question as to what is NATO going to be doing in the, in the Pacific theater, what for. So, and the third question we need to ask is, was Japan forced to do so? Yeah, don't be surprised because it's the same argument I can make about Australia, the policies that Australia is embarking on, or Germany, or France, or the UK. You know, Canada, are they all forced to do so? South Korea, Philippines, you got the idea. So those are basic questions we ought to consider, and as I move forward in the conversation, we're going to be addressing some of those. So, uh, let me do headlines for you guys briefly, about, uh, 2 or 3 that I came across that I believe you need to know about. And by the way, guys, uh, just let me know Do you guys get notification through YouTube when I announce about— because I'm starting to see some weird stuff. For example, the, the, the, uh, the all my captions have been sort of, uh, removed. Subtitle, that is. It's not there. So, and I'm wondering, do you guys get my notification when I posted that I'm gonna be doing livestream? Just let me know in the chat box, please. Yes or no. So this way I know, or I keep track of what's going on with, with this stuff here. So, all right, the first thing, the first headline I'm gonna address for you, it has to do with the what happened in, in, in Russia. And this one has to do with flooding, uh, the dam that broke. There's a dam that, uh, so now you got people a little bit sad, but also not a little bit, they are sad and they are also angry after this collapse of the Russian Ost, uh, uh, Ost Dam. Now it's flooding the city. So, and this is what happened, uh, because the flooding of the Ural River last, which happened on Friday by the way, uh, which led to the, the partial collapse of the Russia Ost Dam. Because the water, usually that dam, I, I read up on it a little bit, that dam was supposed to hold up to 5 meters of water. Well, the water was about 11 meters. And this is why, uh, the mayor of the city of Orenburg declared state of emergency, and now they are working on evacuating people and setting up, uh, uh, some shelters for, for everybody, because there are a lot of homes were destroyed and so forth. So, uh, second one, uh, has to do with Germany. Yeah, Germany is sending now its soldiers to Lithuania. Where is the problem with that? Lithuania closer to Russia. Russia now is interpreting this as a security threat, and there is one thing Russia has in its military doctrine, it's called A2/AD, which means they will reserve the right to strike first, preemptive strike that is. So this is why the Kremlin, uh, uh, yesterday— as a matter of fact, uh, yesterday, which is today our time here announced that sending German soldiers to Lithuania will escalate tensions in the region, but also this will create a threat to Russia that will require special security measures. And we all know what it means, because the basic question we ought to ask is, why is Germany sending its soldiers to Lithuania? What for? And same thing Same question we're asking about Japan, we'll ask it about Germany. Was Germany forced to do so? And I am leaning to say yes, because Olaf Scholz cannot do anything unilaterally. He has to obey the orders of the United States. Otherwise, how would you explain the presence of about 35,000 US troops on German soil? This is not a bilateral cooperation. You know, that, that's the same thing can be said about South Korea. How would you explain the presence of almost 30,000+ troops on the South Korean soil? There's not— it goes beyond the bilateral relations because makes you question about the sovereignty of the states. All right, let's get into our topic here, and once again, uh, I am reacting to, uh, uh, an article that I read written by Akira Kitado, to whom I give the credit for the article. But I am going to address some stuff that weren't addressed in the article at all, which I believe ought to be important. So the idea of— how about if we do a little bit of geography before I'll delve deeper? How about that? Let's do geography. Let's do geography first and history of Japan in this case. Then I'll get in into, uh, delving into the, uh, the, the analysis part of it. So, all right, let me share the screen with you, and we just go from there. Share screen. And I give my credit— I give credit as always to World Atlas. That's where I get the, the map here from. Full screen. And this is, uh, uh, I know the map is a little bit, uh, it's too big for the screen here, but I have to— I'm just going to leave it here for you guys to see. And, uh, so Japan, an East Asian nation, of course, comprising of chain of islands between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, at the eastern coast of the Asian Korean peninsula. So, so for Japan, it is located in the northern and eastern hemisphere of the Earth. The island country stretches from the Sea of, uh, uh, Okhotsk. I hope I pronounce it correctly here. Yeah, Okhotsk. Yeah, in the north to the East China Sea in the south. Japan is bordered by the Sea of Japan in the west. The country— I mean, in Japan, that is— share its maritime borders with North Korea, South Korea, the Philippines, Russia, and Taiwan. And of course, certain maps will mention to you, uh, Russia and China, but it won't mention to you Taiwan independently. Which is, to me, it doesn't make sense because Taiwan is part of China, and when you say China, you mention Taiwan as well. So those are the, the countries that are bordered, maritime bordered with North Korea, South Korea, Philippines, Russia, and China. That's the way I look at it. Then we come to the history of Japan, which is a very interesting aspect of it. So, and I'm gonna provide you the link for full detail Because remember, there is no way we can cover Japan in, in the history of it, because you all know the moment Japan comes to mind, you all know what comes, uh, what the moment Japan is mentioned, you know what comes to mind, the atrocities committed against China. And I will be addressing the, the First War and the Second World War. But suffice it to say, when we think about the history of Japan especially during the Meiji Restoration, which is now the modernization of Japan. You have to go back to about 1603 AD. That's when Japan, after decades of near endless warfare, uh, abruptly closed itself off the rest of the world. And the Japanese people, with a few very rare exceptions, were forbidden from leaving the island. So all trade missions at that time from foreign nations, aside from, uh, two particular countries— one is the Netherlands, or Dutch, and second is China— so aside from those two countries, Netherlands and China, were banned as well. Then you fast forward to when Christianity came in, and your religion that was introduced by European traders was strictly cracked down on and outlawed. And breaking any of these laws was often met with capital punishments. Uh, and that's— and this is like a very, very intense self-isolation period in the history of Japan. Is now— is referred to as the Sakoku, literally meaning closed country. That's the translation of it in— from the Japanese language to English. So, so this practice of shying away from the outside world continued for about 250 years until it all came crashing down in the middle of the 19th century. Of Of course, and as I said, it's a long history. I am going to just provide the snapshots here, but I will post the link for you in the, uh, description. And I am hoping if YouTube is listening to this, please allow the subtitle to be displayed in foreign languages. I will greatly appreciate it. So the fallout of this stems from events began one of the most remarkable and sudden transformation and perhaps any nation has experienced in recorded history. Yeah, that's a first to say. It is fair to say, in only, uh, in only a few short decades, Japan transformed itself from a large agrarian feudal society into a thriving modern nation-state that has rapidly formed an empire on its own and even challenged European empires in open conflict. And this is where that problem was. When China— when, I'm sorry, when Japan became this, uh, sort of established itself unilaterally, it kind of throw its weight out, and that's where the invasion of China came in. The, the— we all know, historically speaking. So till comes the, uh, the, the collision of the West and Japan, and of course This one, despite having a relatively small navy compared to the European empires of its days, it was surprisingly the United States that was the first Western power to establish any formal form of relationship, formal one that is, with the isolationist Japan. Because it has to go back to 1853, which is when the Commodore Matthew Perry arrived off the Japanese coast with a small detachment of warships. So, and what did Perry demand? He demanded that Japan open its ports to American trade mission and also allow any damaged American ships to stop in Japanese territory for repairs. And that's exactly what Perry did. By giving Japan one year. Yeah, they were given exactly one year to contemplate what Perry has told them, or demanded, or requested, whatever term you want to use. So, uh, this will lead me— and I'm, again, I am just going through certain periodic of history till we get into the, uh, segments of where the, uh The, uh, disillusion of the large segment of the Japanese elite led them to turn away from the long-ruling shogunate and instead embrace another age-old institution in its stead. The Emperor of Japan had reigned side by side with the shogun for much of Japanese history. But never held any significant political power. So, and this is what happened when the emperor takes power. So only one year after the Shu-chu and Stasuma declared war against the government, they were able to overpower the forces of the shogun and storm into the capital city of Kyoto and marching directly into the Imperial Palace where they declared the end of the shogunate and the restoration of the Emperor Meiji as the head of state of Japan. Because what led after this one, it was a brief civil war broke out between Imperial and shogunate forces. And the conflict is often called the Bushin War. To those who know the Japanese history in detail, you will know exactly what I'm referring to here. And this only lasted for about 3 years, and the imperial forces scored a handful of impressive victories against the clans that were still loyal to the shogun. So So what happened after this? Then you saw the emergence of the new Japan. Okay, now you have the Meiji Japan now on the rise, and of course this came with the massive reform, earth-shattering reforms if I may use the term, that changes were made to the Japanese society. Well, here's the thing, the first Japanese constitution, which was in 1889, set up a quasi-parliamentarian system. Why? Because it resembled what was in place in Great Britain at that time. That's exactly what happened. So at the time of the Constitution was passed, only 5% of the male Japanese population was eligible to vote. This was eventually opened up to all Japanese men by 1920. Then comes the imperial ambitions, and this is where the changes of the history of Japan. Of course, when we think about the imperial ambitions, you think about the war with Russia first. So, uh, and this is where, uh, important for you to guys to understand. After receiving, uh, after being on the receiving end of the imperial, uh, might of the West in the middle of the 19th century, the Japanese made sure to secure an empire of their own as a safeguard against potential hostile actions in the future. And what happened in 1890 and early 20th century? The Japanese Empire formally occupied the annexed Korea Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands. This is where Okinawa history comes in. A lot of people in the West do not understand why Okinawa was never part of Japan in the whole Ryukyu Islands. And, and when I have Dr. Hammond on Friday, I intend to address this with him because that is also— there are some ties, historical ties that goes back to the Chinese history. So, so the Japanese even entered into open conflict against China over its influence over Korea and came out on the top. And of course, something that will have seemed nearly unthinkable only a few decades prior. So China was forced to cede, uh, or to cede some amounts of its territory to the Japanese and granted them the same one-sided trade deals they were given to Western power. This not only further humiliated Japan's key rival in the region but also elevated its status as the world power that was worthy of respect. Then you move into 1904, the The Japanese Empire launched a surprise war against the Russians over territorial disputes in the far reaches of Siberia. And of course, the Russians had to respond, uh, and that's why the Russian fleet docked at Port, uh, at Port Arthur, uh, was destroyed by the Japanese Navy. And I don't remember, I thought I had a picture of that, saved it, but Obviously I did not save it, but in any event, uh, so that was destroyed, uh, by the, uh, the Japanese at that time. So, so the Russian, uh, and this was, by the way, historically this was a huge, huge milestone and achievement for the Japanese. It only boosts their standing on the global stage. Not only had this sunk most of the Russian Eastern Fleet, but gained the first-ever victory over a European power. And this is what the Russian Tsar at that time dispatched, a relief fleet sailing out of St. Petersburg. But it, it's— it was also that fleet met similar fate when it engaged with the Japanese Navy in open battle. So this one, basically, Japanese stunned the Russians at that time. And in only 40 years, Japan went from a feudal society whose population consisted of samurai and peasant— and peasants, farmers— to a modern nation that embraced technological developments in the West and used them to its own advantage with stunning results. You know, we can't deny this part of history. Because it's very important, guys. However, it is also important to understand the First Sino-Japanese War and the Second Sino-Japanese War. So, so let's start with the first one, and I'm gonna share a picture with you here. Let me stop this one, and this will, uh, and I'll detail exactly as I move forward into this one here. So the First Sino-Japanese War, or conflict, which happened, uh, between 1894 and 1895, and that one, that marked the emergence of Japan as a major power and demonstrated the weakness of the Chinese Empire at that time. The war grew out of conflicts between the two countries for supremacy over what? Do you guys know? There was a reason for why they got involved, because they wanted supremacy over which country at that time? If you can type in, in the chat box, I will greatly appreciate it, just to see your, uh— oh, Francis Tango, I want to say thank you for your Super Sticker. Truly, truly appreciate you for your kind support. Uh, I also want to say thank you to Mobio Zero. Uh, thank you so much for your Super Sticker. You wrote, how the hell can Japan even think of fighting China with all the issues that Japan faces? Japan stands no chance against China. For sure, time has changed. Time has changed. I, I— and I'm gonna get into that as I move forward. So thank you so much for your Super Sticker. Let me see your answer, guys, over what— which country Oh, Mobius Zero, I want to say thank you also for your super sticker. Your statement, you wrote, why do China and Japan even deal with each other even knowing they will be at war very soon? Yeah, I can see your argument there. Good point, uh, Mobius Zero, thank you so much for your super sticker. Are we seeing the last days of Japan? That's why I use the title Digging Their Own Graveyard. So that was the reason. Thank you so much, all guys, for your super sticker. So, uh, Juan Casey, you wrote Russia, uh, Ramplance, you put North Korea, Chaz, you put Korea. Yeah, it was no, no North Korea, no South Korea at that time. It was Korea. That is exactly what happened, because the supremacy— that's why Japan and China fought over, over in Korea. That's what they wanted to take over. So, and this is why it's important to understand this first, uh, Sino-Japan War. It is very crucial to understand. And the picture you're looking at is Yuan, is Yuan Shikai. Hope I pronounce it correctly. So, uh, now the first Japanese, uh, Sino-Japan War conflict between 1894, uh, and 1895, as I mentioned. And this is why, like I said, he marked Japan's emergence. And this is why Japan soon became identified with the more radical modernizing, uh, modernizing forces with the Korean government, while China continued to support the conservative official gathering around the royal family at that time. There is a long history here, guys. I'm just providing you some snapshots here, uh, snapshots rather, for you to have an understanding at least of what's going on. Because here's the thing, when you fast forward to 1937, what happened in 1937? That was the Marco Polo Bridge incident, okay? Because this one is viewed as the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Though some historians are saying no, you have to go back to 1931, and specifically you have to go to Magdalen Incident, because that was the pretext that Japan fabricated to justify their invasion of Manchuria to mark the beginning of, of, of the conflict. And during the invasion, China was aided by the Soviet Union at that time, by the United Kingdom, by the United States, and by Germany under the, the, the Nazism at that time. So before Germany allied with Japan, yeah, because Germany switched side. This is why from 1931 to 1937 there were scrimmages between China and Japan in China. And following the bridge incident, a dispute between Chinese and Japanese troops in Beijing— that's when the conflict escalated to a full-scale Japanese invasion of the rest of China. And this is why Japan achieved the major victories capturing Beijing and Shanghai in 1937. And having fought now each other the Chinese Civil War since 1927, the Nationalists and the Communists formed the Second United Front in late 1936 to resist, to resist the Japanese invasion together. This is why it's so important to understand all this. And again, I am going to provide you the link should you decide to read all this in detail. And it will show you— let me share quickly here with you, uh, uh, some images here, because those are historical record, and, and I want just to share them quickly with you here, and I'll post the link for you so you see. And I'm going to just show you the images quickly here. Uh, here we go, let me show you here. This is the first German. This is the second Sino-Japanese. Uh, let me close this ad stuff here, it's annoying. But here's another picture here. This is the Japanese troops gathering outside, uh, Mukden, Manchuria at the time. This is the, uh, I'm sorry, this is Puyi. Now Puyi played a role into, uh, during this, uh, uh, uh period here. This is, uh, Chiang Kai-shek, which you all know, back in 1924. And what happened with that one in 1935 when the Japanese forced the withdraw from Hebei and, and Chabar, now parts of Inner Mongolia. And, and Chiang Kai-shek played the role into all this. And of course, you know the history of Taiwan. And, and all this, I'm gonna put the link for you guys to read up on this should you decide to do that. So, all right, let's move on into our analysis now and provide you my own analysis. How do I see this moving forward? And again, uh, this is based on the article that I read from the Nikkei Asia, Nikkei Asia, and written by, uh, uh, the author Akira Kitadou. That's the one. So, so So Japan, because here is now where it is concerning to me personally, because what is not been— it's going to be coming up soon into the, uh, the mainstream media. They're going to be talking about that soon. There is an upcoming meeting, it's going to be in Washington in few days from now, and guess who's going to be in it? The US, Japan, and Philippines. Okay, for, uh, what's his name, uh, Kishida, Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister of Japan, he's already saying, well, we're gonna be working with the US and Philippines in, in, in areas of semiconductor, uh, communication networks, clean energy, critical minerals, and so forth. This is what, uh, Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida told the Nikkei ahead of the historic three-way summit in Washington, DC next week. Actually, this week is going to be, I think, on Thursday. I'm gonna check that out and, and find out. But the reality has nothing to do with that. Yes, the meeting is going to take place, but no, it is because we have to put this within the context of why all of a sudden Japan now is laying out about 2,000 kilometers from— it's 2,000 kilometers away from Tokyo, okay? And in it, just about 110 kilometers from Taiwan. This is where Japan's gonna set, uh, sort of the base in Yonaguni. So why the heck is Japan going all the way 2,000 kilometers away from its shores all the way to Taiwan, near Taiwan, that is, which is basically China's borders. Because that's the logical question we have to ask. It's— this is like some remote islands where Japan wants to sort of elevate its defense capability. Defense against whom and defense for what? You look at, uh, where is the map? Let me, let me bring this one back up just to see if I can show. Yeah, yeah, I can see it here. If— let me— yeah, let me show it. If we are to look, you know, this is Japan, of course. And as I mentioned, as I mentioned earlier, you're looking at 2,000 kilometers away from Japan. And if you are to go in, in, if you are to go all the way down, and, and I don't have the, the rest of the map down, all the way down past Okinawa, past the Ryukyu Islands, going all the way to the shores of, uh, China border, Taiwan. So why is, why is Japan going all the way down there? And of course, Japan's argument Same thing that the US argument is, the tensions are building up around the Taiwan Strait, and Japan is deploying now a new military unit to expand its bases in the islands. So this, this, uh, deployment, the recent one that is, they're gonna be in charge of 3 key areas when it comes down to military. I was in, in the Army, I was in the MI the army. And one of the key you deal with, it has to do with the electronic, uh, combat aspects of it. So this unit is going to be dealing with three aspects: electronic combat, which we, by the way, involve interception of the enemy communications, and the second thing of the jamming radars. When you jam the radars, there will be no communication. So, but again, the logical question, we are to ask is, why is Japan going 2,000 kilometers? That's like us. Why are we going 7,000 miles away to set up shop in, in, in parts of the South China Sea or Philippines, whatever that is? That's the logical argument we need to ask. Unless it is forced, meaning Japan was forced by the United States to do so. And I won't rule that out at all, knowing how the policies of Japan in comparison to those of Australia, in comparison to those of South, uh, Korea and Philippines, Germany, UK, France, Canada— you got the idea, guys. This is where I see the the challenge into all this. And because when you think about what, what else going on, it'll start to make more sense to you. The announcements of the Japanese— of Japan, US, and Philippines, as far— and Australia— as far as conducting the, uh, uh, what they call the first quad, uh, quadruple military exercises in the South China Sea, you know. And this is what I found very, very troubling in a sense that when I came across this article in, in its original language, which by the way was written in, uh, it was written in Arabic. And I, as you know guys, I read, I read Arabic. Where's the picture? Right here. So, and, and of course, the moment I saw the headline which says which translates basically to first quadruple military exercises in the South China Sea. That just became clear to me why Japan is setting up shop in the remote islands. For what? Yeah, Yonaguni, that's right, which is just across about 100 miles 110 kilometers, I'm sorry, from Taiwan. So why all of a sudden will be doing this? And the other question we need to ask is why— why Philippines is dragging itself into, uh, digging itself a hole, digging a hole for itself, militarily speaking, you know? And all of them saying, oh, this is— by the way, because it was a joint statement That means Japan is saying it. That means Philippines is saying it. That means the US is saying it. Anytime— FYI, guys— anytime you have a joint statement, that means all the parties have agreed to the language of it. That's what it means. So in this case, based on the article that I read, in this case, that all of them Japan, the US, and Philippines. You know, the reason they agreed to these exercises is because they wanted to challenge the status quo in the South China Sea, in what appears— according to their statements— in what appears to be a show of unity in the face of Chinese naval influence. This is where the challenge is. And the trouble that lies ahead as far as why it is troubling. And like I mentioned earlier, uh, in the title, uh, for, for this, uh, live stream, is Japan digging its own graveyard? Because here is the thing, we have to go back to the history of Japan. Yeah, Japan might have been able to do what it did in China back then when they invaded Chinese, the atrocities committed and so forth. China of today is not China of back then, and I am sure it will be naive and stupid of Japanese policymakers, assuming they think rationally, to underestimate or to, to overstate their capabilities, or consideration that the US is coming to their defense. That is just an illusion. That is just wishful thinking. That's the way I read it. That's the way I see it. And it behooves the Japanese to think hard and have a long-term thinking. That's the same mistake Japan, uh, South Korea is making, Philippines making, uh, Australia is making, and now I am even concerned about, uh, uh, New Zealand. So, and it becomes clear that now the two countries, Japan and Philippines, are coming to Washington So the question to you is, are they being summoned? Type in, in the chat box please, your answer. Are Japan and Philippines being summoned to Washington, yes or no? So this is where the issue is. And again, you know, as one who's been in, in military and I used to deal with foreign languages in a military. That's how you learn foreign languages. And the mistake I made, I didn't push for learning the Chinese at that time. So, uh, it's to understand this is within its proper context, and that's why I read the articles in their original language, the, the, the language that I can understand and, and speak fluently and grammatically correct and so forth. So this is not about just, uh, uh, uh, speaking few words here and there. And, and to me, it gives me an idea, you know, this does— it's not happening in a vacuum. All of a sudden you have a declaration of quadruple, uh, military maneuvers in South China Sea between Australia, Japan, Philippines, and the US. On the other hand, you have the two other countries, Philippines and Japan, coming to Washington for a meeting, uh, uh, uh, in the next few days to talk about semiconductor. It's nonsense because Philippines doesn't have the infrastructure for that. Japan does, but Japan, even where its economy is, and the, and, and the, and the yen is taking a nosedive. So because you all remember how the economy Japan was in the '80s or in the last century, And what did we do? Because that was the whole idea of it. We never wanted them to move forward. You know, I remember, I remember back then that Japan's economy was— I mean, anything advancements technology-wise, you will hear coming from Japan. And now we're seeing the change. And this is what I'm saying, the Japanese so-called leaders, uh, Fumio Kishida— because that's what happened with Shinzo Abe. Shinzo Abe, because the far right inside Japan, that's how he was assassinated, is because he was taking some different approach a little long the long history of the shrine and all that, which is very, very, very controversial and so forth, the, the visit to the shrine and so on. Because, you know, let, let's just stay you know, call a spade a spade. We cannot, in clear conscience. We— yeah, like I always said, Chinese might end up forgiving, but they will never forget what the Japanese did to the Chinese. That's just human nature. You might be able— if somebody crosses you the wrong way you will forgive, but will you ever forget? That's where I see the challenge, uh, in, into, uh, so, and, and it was just the idea of it. I'm, I'm like, so it's, it's, uh, it's concerning to me. It's concerning because we are fomenting more tensions. Because mark my word on this, guys, next conflicts, once the dust settles on Ukraine and the Middle East to a degree, it's going to be in the, in the Pacific, uh, theater. That's where it's going to be. So, and there it will be a different ball game altogether. Most of the neighborhood does not want any conflict. This is why you see an ASEAN moving into the direction, even though you still have, uh, uh, uh, Philippines You still have Singapore, even though for Singapore, uh, I got a, a supporter, uh, by the name Stella mentioned to me how the government in Singapore now taxing the Singaporean high level. So, and, and is this benefiting Singapore every citizen? I don't know, but, but I can understand the arguments this supporter made is the same argument I will make about the Philippines— and regarding the, the shifting towards China, when both of them, they're saying, yes, we are shifting to China, but in practice they're not. Meaning both China— both Philippines and Singapore, to a degree, more so of the Philippines. And this is where the problem that I foresee is the neighborhood in that area. They don't want any more tensions because they are focusing on prosperity. That's what economic one that is. That's the same arguments I've made earlier about— not in this time here, but before— about why the United States went ahead and announced publicly through the, the White House press secretary that the US is recognizing that the Pradesh region, the border between India and China, belong to India. No, the only reason for that statement is to ferment, to ensure that we ferment tensions between the two giants there. That's the only reason. As a matter of fact, we do not want India to get along with China. When I say we, I'm referring to the government, of course, as you all know. And I'm going to do a video for you. I might even invite a guest. I have someone in mind who knows this military background stuff, and I'm gonna reach out to him and, and invite him over for this conversation, because I do see the signs. I do see the signs of all this, where it's headed. And to me, when Japan will go 2,000 kilometers away from its border to establish a base, that's to me, it's a, it's a telltale sign. That's, that's problematic. That's just how I see the, the challenge, moving forward. And again, I hope the, the individuals in charge of Japanese, uh, foreign policy understand the capabilities of China today, and they shouldn't be under any illusion that what they did back then, they will be able to replicate that, or the assumption that Oh, we can fight China because the US will come to our support. The US will not put its soldiers in front line. That will be the Japanese, that will be the South Koreans, that will be the Filipino soldiers, that will be the Australians, and maybe soon will be the New Zealanders as well. And at that time China will not— China won't make any distinctions on whomever. If you need to do whatever you need to do, you're not going to be differentiating, oh, this is Australian, this is— no, no. You decide to go in front line, you're going to bear the brunt of it. And this is where I see the problem in Japan with this decision. Yeah, there have been some other, uh, uh, uh, wrong decisions or ill-conceived policies that they embarked on. But this one, to me, especially with the military dimensions, let alone the location— we're talking about 100 kilometers from Taiwan. Taiwan, part of China. What are you going there for? Because the moment you establish a unit there, that means Well, the US will come in and say, hey, we're just supporting Japan because Japan is here. Now, there are those who will say maybe China needs to hit hard once for all, because here is the thing: what would happen— and just think, uh, guys, outside the box— what would happen if, if China would have gone to the island there and establish its own military presence. What outcome are we looking at? Yeah, they will go to, uh, Yonaguni and said, this is close to our territory here. Or the same arguments that, uh, uh, someone have made. One of, uh, an avid viewer, I forget the name, my apologies, uh, uh, supporter put a comment one day and I read it, I remember, and he did ask me, so like Dr. O, what do you think would have happened if China would have responded the first time the US naval assets crossed through South China Sea near the Chinese border? If they would have fired at them or whatever, whatever, by any, by any means, will the US do it again? And my answer will be most likely not, because they will understand This is exact thing Russia did with the UK. You guys remember in the Black Sea when the, the British tried to flex their muscles and send their destroyer, whatever? The Russians warned them once and they said, second time we're not going to warn you, we're going to fire. And they did fire. Of course, they calculated where fire close by. What did the British do? They left, never went back. It's because Russia has the capability of sinking that destroyer. Well, guess what? China has the capability now of sinking an aircraft carrier, US one that is. And this is what I don't get about Japan really embarking on a policy that is— it's self-defeating. Just doesn't make any sense, and they're going to bear the brunt of the outcome of something like this. But again, if we are think of Japan, are we thinking of Japan as a sovereign state? Yeah, it is sovereign on papers, but who dictates the terms? The same thing with South Korea, and South Korea is coming up to some elections, I believe. I am wondering, meet the new boss as the old boss. Same business. So that, that's to me where, where the challenge that I foresee, uh, coming, uh, moving forward. And the idea is, uh, it's just very concerning, very, very, very concerning. And when you consider again these military exercises and all that stuff, it, it's just not not going to bode well for, for the region, uh, that is pushing more for stability. They don't want any conflict. They don't want— they're seeing the images of what's taking place in Ukraine, what's taking place in the Middle East, what's taking place with Europe, you know. I mean, they don't want that in Asia. They are focusing on economic, uh, prosperity. Yeah, so to go into this now, declaring about this quadruple joint exercises— no, no. And this is why also the US is using those countries over there, you know. It's because they are dispensable. Yeah, Australia is dispensable, Philippines is dispensable, Japan is dispensable. South Korea is dispensable. We all know this. It's nothing mysterious about it. Uh, and again, the— to those who think what the US is going to come to their aid, no, no. We will say we will support you, the same thing we did with Georgia. I remember back then, uh, Georgia and Russia back in 2008, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, we told the guy at that time, the president, Mikheil Saakashvili, Oh, just go ahead, go ahead and take over the two locations in the south, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and we will defend you. Oh, Russians won't do anything. Russia sent military units, took over in about a week and a half, defeated that. And, uh, Saakashvili was like, hey guys, for the US and NATO, are you coming to help me out? Because the first time, the, the first, uh, when the first shot was fired, he's like, oh, I thought you guys coming over to help me. And the answer we told him was like, what, are you crazy? You want us to fight a nuclear Russia? And that's it. Russia took over Abkhazia and Southeast Asia. So I think for Saakashvili, he couldn't believe he was defeated in such a short term, short time. Getting his tail between his legs and getting out of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. So that, that's where I see it. Let me say thank you to Truth Seeker. Thank you so much for your super sticker, truly appreciate it. You wrote, what if the Taiwanese decided to reunify with China? What will make Japan and Philippines feel stupid to hype up war with China under the US? Yeah, that is a good question. Well, guess why? Because now there is the former president of Taiwan that is going to China. President Xi is going to be meeting with him. So I just read this one, uh, somewhere in the, uh— it wasn't, it wasn't, it wasn't posted here in the US, uh, I don't remember where I read it. Oh, in, uh, uh, Nikkei Asia, that's where I read it. Yeah, the former president of Taiwan is going to, uh, China to meet with Xi. Yeah, the possibility is there, of course. We can't ignore that one. The question is, yeah, what will Japan do at that time? So, and if the, you know, we all know, we all know how this, uh, uh, uh, uh, movie plays. We've seen this movie before. You create, you ferment tensions, you create tensions, you take step back and you let the, the, the, you call them puppets, whatever term you want to use, you let them deal with it. You're just watching from behind, meaning us. And you keep supplying weapons and all that stuff. That's basically where I see it going. But it will be a suicide for Japan to even think anything else, or thinking that the US is going to come to its aid. I just don't see that. That's what I see moving forward. So yeah, you're absolutely correct, Truth Seeker. That will make Japan and Philippines feel feel sort of, uh, no insights regarding, uh, foreign policy or understanding the really how to read the geopolitical landscape. They won't be able to do that. That is where the issue is going to be. So, and then that's why I wanted to address this one, because I, I saw the, the implications, and I still see that coming, the geopolitical implications of it. You know, and China will have to make a point to Japan and Philippines or any other neighbor in the region. Not— I'm not saying about flexing muscles, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about usually China will resolve its issues of the islands and so forth, South China Sea, uh, you know, diplomatically. And that's always the best way to do. And this is why India didn't want to accept when China offer to swap up the location. Yeah, they didn't want to. It's because they knew that the US would not let it, because they were concerned— they, India, were concerned that the US— because we also have pressure points on India. Do you guys have any idea how easy for the US to activate some groups inside India, or even from neighboring Pakistan? It's not that hard. India understands this reality, and this is why we went ahead and announced that the Pradesh area is— oh, belongs to India. No, it does not. It does not. So, all right guys, I am going to take few questions. I said what I need to say. I'll take few questions with you. By the way, I, I'm still dealing with the administrative aspects of my visa for Asia. They are asking some— they are demanding some other papers and all that. So, but the Asia trip's still on. It just— it's gonna have— it's gonna happen when it's gonna happen. And, and that's the way I look at it. I just wanted to let you know because there are many of you that still supporting the upcoming trip to Asia, and I am very, very grateful to— for that. Uh, but again, I have to go through the, the administrative aspects of it, be respectful of the country's, uh, laws and, and whatever they do. And they asking information, more information, given my background, given my— and rightly so, rightly so. And I, I am not going on behalf of anybody except on my, my own, because the trip, and for you guys. That's about it, you know. Nobody's funding this trip. It's with your support. I'm putting money from my own pocket as well, but it's with your support as well. That's what I'm doing. And I know one of the questions that I've been asked, who's funding your trip? Because it was the norm that any, any individual goes to China usually is funded by Washington, whatever. Yeah, I could have reached out to Washington if I wanted that. No. I won't, because they won't want me to report the truth. And the whole reason for going to, uh, to Asia is to report the facts so you guys can know, because I will be on the ground. So I just— I'll work through this and all that stuff. So, but anyway, here's the links for those who wants to support the channel. And I want to also take this opportunity to say— let me, let me get something here because I need to do this quickly, if I get to it. Sometimes the computer just slows down. Yeah, I wanted to, uh, say thank you to, uh, Pearl Fan, uh, for, uh, your support through PayPal. Truly, truly appreciate your generosity. It means a lot to me, and I want to give credit. The same thing I do for all those who support the channel through Buy Me a Coffee. Uh, Drag 88, KC Wong, so many of you guys. I'm very, very grateful for your continued support. So, uh, let me see something here quickly because it's the right thing to do. Buy Me a Coffee. So yeah, so if you want to support the channel, there's the links to, to there. And if any of you wants to support the channel through PayPal I got you the wrong one here. PayPal right here. So, um, I'll be very grateful for your continued support. All right, let me see some questions from you guys. And thank you once again to those who, uh, got me the Super Sticker here. I'm very, very thankful to you. All right, let's look at some questions here. Uh, let me— I'm, I'm scrolling through to see uh, where I can see. Um, and I think, uh, Francis Tango, I think you put a question there, if I'm not mistaken. And remember, guys, FYI, remember, uh, to just, just keep in mind, and I will post it for you as far as my upcoming, uh, uh, question with, uh, interview rather with, uh, Dr. Hammond. No. All right, let's see. A question, David. I've read the report saying that Japan has very strong navy and can sink Chinese warships and defeat China on the sea within days. Douglas, Douglas McGregor has also mentioned this. By the way, I sent him an invitation for the show. So what do you think? Yes, Japan does have, does have a strong navy. I mean, it, it involves a lot. I mean, you, you, you are not reduce, uh, the capabilities of Japan's naval assets. After all, look what they did in Pearl Harbor, right? Uh, but on the other hand, you are— one will have to think in terms of Just because China didn't disclose certain things, that doesn't mean they don't exist. I'll think about it like, for example, the sonar technology that China developed— very, very advanced. And I read through certain, uh, uh, uh, uh, you know, some subscriptions that I'm involved in. They are very, very, very expensive. I'll give you just quick example. If you look through Jane magazine, for example, It's, uh, which they do provide a very, very, very detailed narrative. So, uh, yeah, but I don't think so Japan will want to take a risk of this magnitude to go head-on with China. It won't bode well for Japan knowing what I know. And again, I could be wrong. So that, that's, that's my, my quick answer to that one. So, and, and again, I respect, uh, McGregor's opinions. Uh, he's a military historian, guys. He, he knows what he's talking about, and, and most likely he has some insights into this as to what led him to this statement. So, all right, uh, Ten She Corona. Dr. O, was surprised to see you in the Twitter Space yesterday, but glad you are broadening your audience. Yes, I was on Twitter Space. Uh, it was a conversation with Katan, uh, uh, LC Katan. It was, it was very nice. So, uh, I, I liked it because it was a free flow conversation, and I think there were about, what, 700 people or something like that. So, so I look forward to next time, maybe next month or something like that. So, all right, let me see two more questions. And I'm scrolling down to see, guys, here if it is. And YouTube, by the way, please, if you are listening, let my viewers' comments be displayed. I will greatly appreciate it. Uh, White YA question: Dr. O, do you see the Western countries provoking the Southeast Asian countries that chose to bend more towards China? Will the country in the bow down, uh, will the country in the bow down to the pressure? That's an interesting question, and all depends on how things evolve economically. I mean, you look at now the projects that is taking place, mega projects. The last one I saw has to do with Indonesia being involved in with, with, with Malaysia or some other way, as far as some railroad for Laos, I believe. Yeah. Oh, the pressure of course will be there, even for Indonesia. You know, I ain't gonna rule out, uh, that Prabowo is gonna be dishonest. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Knowing what I know as far as his history, his ties to the CIA back then, No, it's not secret. However, they also— he's gonna have to figure out, because what Malaysian people want, same with Indonesia, same with most of the Southeast Asia, what they want is economic prosperity, because that's what's gonna matter, not the conflict. You all know how the global economy is right now. So the country is gonna want to have economic prosperity, so they're gonna have to push back against what their governments— if they end up doing what they're doing, like Philippines right now, you know. Yeah, there are a lot of conversation inside the Philippines that the leadership is taking the country on the wrong path. What's going to happen after that, I don't know. Will they Will the Filipino people go down to the streets and demand the change of policy? Maybe, maybe not, uh, depending again how they approach this kind of stuff. So it's legitimate question what you ask. And the idea of, uh, where especially ASEAN countries, or we think about the whole Asia for that matter, this saying where the reality is You, you have to live with the giant China economically because it will benefit you. Simple as that. Australia realized the mistake. New Zealand is realizing the mistake, even though still moving in the wrong direction. Japan realized a long way back. South Korea way back. But Philippines realized that one. And again, China can shut off the trade completely with all the— but China won't do it that way because it won't be wise and smart. Except that China, even though, as I said last time, China invested almost 36% in foreign direct investments in Asia in 2023, far beyond what we did. So, so this is where I see the, the, the challenge moving forward and And, uh, that's just how, how I see it. But to me personally, as geopolitical analyst, I am seeing signs of trouble for behavior of Japan that is 2,000 kilometers from its borders. Same argument we make here in the US: why are we going 7,000 miles away to some far lands to create tensions? When we have issues right here. And I just, uh, I just don't see how this is going to work. And, uh, we'll be— I'll be keeping an eye on this because as much as I do not want to say it, but I can't cherry-pick the information. You all know this, but it bothers me that what I see lying ahead in Asia is troubling to me. That's why I wanted to go to Asia now before things change soon. All right, I'm looking at— oh, Tamputra, thank you so much for your support. I truly, truly appreciate you, Tamputra. And you put a question: if Trump reelected, will he continue to provoke proxy war with China? Yes. Especially on the economic front. He is not into the military aspects of it. But I believe Trump is not qualified for the position. We don't have qualified leaders in the US, even for the independent RFK, Robert Kennedy, whatever. I don't know. All of, uh, Cornel West, Dr. West, might be okay, but the establishment is not going to let him. The system, our system, is corrupted to its core. So, so I do foresee that if Trump wins the, uh, the, the election, they're gonna— because they already mentioned about the tariffs on the BYD vehicles from Mexico coming to the US. So, but again, Chinese have the wisdom of being patient. And Chinese think far ahead because even hypothetically, even if Trump wins the election, the Chinese will deal with him for 4 years. Then you're gonna get another president after that. That's why our system is— won't work. So, so, and, and sanctions and all that, we also have sanctions not working. Look what happened with Russia. So this is exactly what's going on. All right guys, I'm going to sign off here. Once again, appreciate all you being here, appreciate your support. Uh, I'm going to figure out a way to make sure you guys get the notification. I don't know why. And once again, please, YouTube, if you are listening or watching this, let the notification get to my viewers. I would greatly appreciate it. And let the subtitle be displayed. I will also appreciate it. And thank you all for being here. As always, remember Geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.