November 1, 2005: Japan would rather be safe than sanctimonious. The United States Navy has announced it is replacing the oil powered USS Kitty Hawk as the forward-deployed carrier in Japan with a Nimitz-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier when the Kitty Hawk is decommissioned in 2008. This is the first time that a nuclear-powered carrier will be deployed in Japan. The Kitty Hawk is one of the last conventionally-powered carriers in service. It has proven to be far more operationally efficient to go with nuclear power to propel the 80,000-ton vessels that are the U.S. Navy's means of power projection. As such, conventionally-powered supercarriers are no longer being built.

It is significant to note that Japan is permitting the deployment of a nuclear-powered carrier. Japan has had a very strict nuclear policy since 1945. They are very strongly against nuclear weapons, and nuclear-powered warships have been viewed with suspicion. There have been 1200 visits by nuclear-powered warships, but nothing nuclear-powered was ever based in Japan. Note also that Japan has 55 nuclear power plants that supply 30 percent of the country's electric power.

This loosening of a formerly-strict policy is no real surprise. Under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Japan has been more assertive in its foreign policy. Much of this can be traced to China, which has been trying to assert claims to Taiwan and in the Senkaku Islands. In both cases, China has been particularly heavy-handed. Twice, Chinese generals have threatened the United States over Taiwan (in one case, the threat was implicitly nuclear). China also has sent submarines and surface ships into disputed waters.

Japan is easing up on its nuclear policy as part of a two-track response (the other being its naval buildup). It is a not-so-subtle reminder to China that not only will Japan stand up for itself, but it also has a very big (and close) friend in the region. - Harold C. Hutchison ([email protected])