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Japan’s Communist Leader Urges Reevaluation of Military Ties with the US

Kazuo Shii, the Japanese Communist Party’s longest-serving leader, has sparked a debate by suggesting that Tokyo reassess its policy of allowing US military aircraft to operate freely within its airspace. Shii made the call in response to Austria’s decision to deny US warplanes involved in the Iran conflict access to its skies.

Shii, who stepped down as party leader in 2024 and has since taken on a role as chairman of the central committee, expressed his views in a social media post. He criticized Japan’s current stance, which permits US military aircraft to conduct low-altitude flights with little oversight, even though these flights may contravene domestic laws.

The Japanese Communist Party, Japan’s oldest active party, holds a relatively small presence in the country’s politics, with only four seats in the House of Representatives. Japan’s close relationship with the US is underscored by the presence of approximately 50,000 US soldiers stationed in the country under a post-World War II defence treaty.

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