When a country attempts to build a bigger army, it usually tries to find justifications. The Abe administration cites China's efforts to protect its maritime territory, along with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear and missile programs, as concrete examples of the changing regional security climate necessitating the new laws.

When US President Barack Obama met with Republic of Korea's President Park Geun-hye and Abe on the sidelines of the nuclear security summit in Washington on Thursday, some Japanese observers claimed there was a "new Cold War". They were thrilled to put the US, Japan and the ROK in one camp and China, Russia and the DPRK in the other.

This "new Cold War" is taking shape in action. Japan's Defense Agency has stationed 160 Ground SDF personnel on Yonaguni Island, which is some 150 kilometers south of China's Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, to monitor vessels and aircraft in the area by radar.

Japan also plans to dispatch GSDF troops to the Miyako Island and Ishigaki Island in its Okinawa prefecture and Amami Oshima Island of Kagoshima prefecture.

Drills to simulate the recapturing of a remote island have been conducted by the SDF with the US military.

Japan has also supported countries with disputes with China in the South China Sea in a bid to keep China in check.

The security legislation "merely lays the foundation", Abe was quoted by Japanese media as saying to those lawmakers who are close to him on the occasion of the security laws taking effect. He said it is what happens in the future that matters.

Indeed, Japan's neighbors need to pay close heed to what the country will do in the years ahead.

The author is China Daily Tokyo bureau chief. caihong@chinadaily.com.cn