Japan is becoming ever-more pronounced in its attempt at overseas expansion.

At a recent ministerial meeting, the Japanese government decided to extend the duration of an escort ship of the Maritime "Self-defence Force" dispatched to the sea off Somalia for one more year and to increase the number of the crew on the pretext of "counter-piracy activities".

It also decided to extend the duration of activities of the SDF dispatched to multinational forces and inspection group in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt for one more year.

What cannot be overlooked are the military operations of the maritime SDF that are gaining momentum.

In November alone, it held joint drills with carrier strike force of the British navy in the Aden Bay on the sea off Somalia and joint exercises with the Australian navy on the sea south of Shikoku.

It frequently holds joint exercises with multinational forces on the seas off Japan. A good example is the five-nation joint military exercises it has conducted with the naval forces of the US, Australia, Canada and Germany in the Philippine Sea near the southern part of Japan for 10 days until November 30.

Experts contend that the drill would threaten peace in East Asia and arouse displeasure of regional countries as more than 30 warships, including the nuclear carrier Carl Vinson of the US navy, and dozens of airplanes were involved in it.

Japan's repeated extension of the SDF's overseas stay and intensive joint military drills are dangerous moves aimed to launch overseas aggression at any moment by perfecting the SDF's war capability and regularizing and validating its overseas advance.

Since the adoption of a law on overseas dispatch under the slogan of "peacekeeping" in 1992, Japan has dispatched its SDF to various parts overseas to accumulate experiences in actual wars.

It has continued to extend the duration of the SDF that was dispatched overseas on various pretexts and to expand its scope of military overseas operation.

The SDF has already turned into attack-type regular armed forces in breach of the principle of "exclusive defence".

However, the Japanese authorities now plan to double the military spending that has so far been limited to be less than 1% of the GDP for next year, which will earmark the biggest budget for "defence".

The Japanese mass media comment that in case this is realized, Japan will come third in the world in the military expenditure.

The ultimate goal of Japan is to rapidly become a military power and develop attack weapons and thus contain regional countries and retake its past position as a suzerain country.

Japan is a war criminal country which provoked a war of aggression against Asian countries in the past and also a defeated nation. It is a criminal country that has not redeemed its past after a lapse of several decades.

This country with such a dangerous outlook on history is bolstering military capabilities for attack which indicates that it can come out for overseas aggression at any moment.

Herein lies a reason why the international community should be vigilant against Japan's moves.

Japan should bear in mind that its reckless move to bolster military buildup, being oblivious of its crime-woven history, will bring its self-destruction only.

KCNA