Chinese & Korean Military & Domestic Politics

The primary reason that the military of Japan plays no role in the domestic politics of that country is that the military of the country plays little role at all, in any aspect of the policies of the nation, domestic or foreign. One of the penalties imposed upon Japan after its defeat in World War II was a dismantling of its military, and this imposition has continued to this date. While the military has been re-built to a minor degree in the decades since the end of World War II, it has not reached the level of power which would allow it to play a major role in either foreign or domestic politics.

As Sato writes, "Japan's militaristic history" plays an important role in the distrust of its neighbors, despite the fact that Japan has been largely dis-armed since World War II. However, those same neighbors---like other nations around the world, see Japan's tremendous economic power as a threat in and of itself. Sato goes on: "Although Japan allocates only about 1 percent of GNP to defense, its economy is so productive that its allocations for the armed forces rank third in the world, behind the

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ain, the most blatant example of the overwhelming influence of the military in China's domestic politics in recent years was the Tiananmen Massacre of 1989. Oksenberg writes that "Memories of the June 4, 1989, massacre in Beijing remain vivid . . . China's leaders have expressed no remorse for their decision to send heavily armed military forces into the capital. No amnesty has been given to activists in that spring's demonstrations, and many dissidents languish in prisons without charges filed against them. In the two years since Tiananmen Square leaders in Beijing have pursued a hard line toward intellectuals" (Oksenberg 1). The Chinese leaders are very elderly, the taste of freedom is still fresh and unforgotten in the mouths of the students (despite the military crackdown), and it is certain that China is in for a turbulent period in the next decade. The military answers the needs of the old hard-liners, but younger reform-minded leaders are in the wings, and it is likely the military will lose some of its clout, though it may resist such change. Ironically, as Polumbaum writes, the Tiananmen crackdown may have ultimately weakened the power of the military in domestic politics. As we read: "Broadly speaking .... Chin
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Approximate Word count = 2126
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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