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IN CONVERSATION WITH Masanori Nishi,
Special Adviser to the Ministry of Defence

‘DSEI WILL

PRESENT

WHAT WE’RE

THINKING NOW’

Mr. Masanori Nishi, Special Adviser to the
Ministry of Defence and current chair of DSEI
Japan Committee, discusses the strategies
for future defence in Japan, which is also
the theme for this edition of DSEi Japan, with

RAF air vice-marshal (Retd) Gary Waterfall,
senior air advisor for DSEI.

Excerpts from the conversation:

Gary Waterfall: How important is DSEI for what we are now considering, and the lessons we learn from global
Japan in light of the new changes in Japan’s conflicts from Russia to Ukraine and China to Taiwan.
defence policies?

Gary Waterfall: What are the key changes and the impact from
Masanori Nishi: DSEI Japan 2023 is going to be Japan’s publishing of their three key Security Documents on an
a very important occasion since it’s going to international scale?
generate critical moments and critical debate.
DSEI Japan is a very good occasion for us to
present what we are thinking now. I have spent Masanori Nishi: Well, in short, Japan is increasingly aware of
almost 35 years in the Ministry of Defence. There how difficult and dangerous our region of the world has become.
are number of occasions I was second to other Considering how the three of the world’s major powers surround us,
government offices, but my major concern and Russia, China and the United States. Historically, this geographic
major interest is how we can increase Japan’s zone was controlled by China’s Qin dynasty. After a major revisionary
security. For many years, since the end of the system change in 1868 we faced very serious challenge from Qin
Second World War, we have neighboured three dynasty which led to war. Soon after, it then led to a war with Russia
strongly armed countries, Russia, formally the – following that, we had difficulties with the United States. After
Soviet Union, China and North Korea. In those 80 these decades of regional tensions, together with these powers,
years, it has been difficult to develop relations we saw the result which was a collapse of the Imperial Japanese
with these countries. DSEI Japan 2023, will be an Power in 1945. After that, what would you see these three major
important occasion for Japan to present what nuclear-equipped, countries. Certainly now there is another emerg-
government and industry has been working on, ing threat - North Korea. They now also have nuclear capability
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