A Japanese military expert said Japan's defense capability should not be underestimated because the country's defense force can take on China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on its own.

Kazuhiko Inoue said the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) can resist a potential invasion by the People's Liberation Army even without the assistance of the United States, Japan's close ally.

Like Us on Facebook

Inoue, interviewed by Tokyo's Sapio Magazine, went on in questioning the capabilities of China's warships, which are designed based on technologies from Russia, Ukraine and Israel.

"Are they really that reliable compared to their Japanese counterparts?" Inoue was quoted as asking.

He also cited Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, which he said has not ability to launch carrier-based aircraft because it does not have catapult aboard the flight deck.

Most of the PLA Navy's surface combat vessels also do not have sufficient anti-submarine warfare capability, Inoue argued.

"These vessels will become the victims of JMSDF's Soryu-class diesel-electric attack submarines should a military conflict erupt," he said.

The JMSDF, he added, has to advantages against China's PLA Navy.

First, he said, the JMSDF can get assistance from the US carrier battle groups operating in the region.

Second, Japan also has the ability to operate an aircraft carrier because it has the Japanese helicopter destroyer Izumo.

Izumo can be transformed into a real aircraft carrier as soon as Japan gets F-35 fighters with vertical take-off and landing capabilities.

Meanwhile, Taiwan said on Thursday that it is ready to deploy military aircraft to warn any Chinese passenger planes that cross the halfway line in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan's statement came after China prepares to begin using four new civil flight routes near the Taipei Flight Information region starting March 5.

Taiwan's Deputy Prime Minister Tseng Dar-jen said said China's declaration of new flight routes is against the civil aviation convention.

TagsJapan-China Conflict, Japan Military