The following is from Yoshiko Sakurai's serial column in the latter part of the Weekly Shincho, published on July 4, 2012.
This article also proves that she is a national treasure, as defined by Saicho, the supreme national treasure.
It is a must-read not only for the people of Japan but also for people around the world.
The following is a continuation of the previous chapter.
China's most feared move
On another point, Western powers should not forget that Russia's material capabilities should not be underestimated.
Ukraine destroyed nearly 90% of the Russian military's forces, but Russia made up for the losses and expanded its military industry by about three times.
Mr. Iwata, a former tank driver, explains.
Before the invasion of Ukraine, they had 2,927 tanks. They lost about 3,000 tanks in this war, but now they have 1,750 tanks due to the expansion of their munitions industry. They are making 200 to 300 tanks a year by significantly expanding their production capacity, and they can procure about 300 tanks a year to repair old tanks. We cannot keep up."
Regarding ammunition production, Russia produces 2.1 million rounds a year and North Korea 2.3 million, for a total of 4.4 million rounds.
In contrast, the United States produces 400,000 rounds, Europe 1.4 million, and the Czech Republic and other countries 500,000, for a total of 2.3 million rounds.
At 4.4 million vs. 2.3 million, the West cannot make up the difference.
As for soldiers, Russia is losing 1,000 each day.
The death toll reaches 360,000 a year.
The West cannot bear these sacrifices, but Mr. Putin does not flinch.
We in the West may lose under these outrageous circumstances.
All politicians, including Prime Minister Kishida, must recognize this fact as a fact of the world.
Inform the public of the global situation and come up with countermeasures.
The source of the problem is China.
The only way to check China is to do what they fear the most.
That is to terminate dollar transactions with China's central commercial banks, which settle trade with Russia for military and civilian goods, oil, and other commodities.
Mr. Tamura is correct in making this point.
While the magnitude of the impact may put off US President Biden, Mr. Kishida should strongly advise against it.
An international framework in which Japan, the U.S., and Europe cooperate to expand and strengthen military-related industries is also needed.
However, it should be obvious that Japan must complete constitutional reform and prove itself to be a full-fledged nation before making such a proposal.
2024/7/5 in Okayama
