It's Finlandization in Action--1939 Version.

China has spent decades demonizing the Japanese (when convenient for China) as an aggressor state still guilty for Shanghai atrocities over 75 years ago; and in recent years has used their growing military power to try to intimidate Japan into passive acceptance of China's objectives. Japan might have done that under this dual pressure. But Japan has not surrendered.

So we have an intimidation fail in progress:

Japan is likely to start considering acquiring the ability to launch pre-emptive military strikes in an update of its basic defense policies, the latest step away from the constraints of its pacifist constitution.

The expected proposal, which will almost certainly sound alarm bells in China, is part of a review of Japan's defense policies undertaken by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, an interim report on which could come as early as Friday.

Why not? China will accuse Japan of being an aggressive state bent on reviving Japanese hegemony regardless of what Japan does. Why not build a military capable of taking the initiative in a fight?

Despite China's rapid rise in military power, there are serious questions about how effective the Chinese military would be in high-tech conflict. Japan has a history of successfully waging conventional warfare (even if losing the last big one, they fought hard and well).

I keep hearing how the Chinese are experts at long-term thinking. So I can only assume this outcome is exactly what the deep thinkers in Peking had in mind with all this.