China Warns Japan's Military Buildup Threatens Regional Stability
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian levelled the criticism Wednesday in response to a draft proposal adopted by Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which he said betrayed an ambition among certain Japanese factions to pursue remilitarisation, shed the constraints of the post-war order, and dramatically scale up military capabilities.
What the Proposal Contains
Speaking at his regular briefing, Jian outlined the document's key provisions, describing it as a blueprint expected to land on the desk of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba by the end of June. The proposal calls for substantial hikes in defence spending, citing a deteriorating security environment — including China's military modernisation and NATO's benchmark of allocating 3.5% of GDP to defence.
Beyond the budget, the draft advocates strengthening counterstrike capabilities, developing defences against large-scale saturation attacks, introducing next-generation submarines capable of carrying long-range missiles, deepening reliance on the US nuclear deterrent, and ensuring Japan can sustain combat operations for a minimum of one year.
"China and the international community are deeply concerned and highly vigilant about this development," Jian said, accusing Tokyo of inflating regional threat perceptions to manufacture a justification for military expansion.
A Deepening Strategic Rift
Japan has been on a steady defence spending trajectory for several years, culminating in a landmark revision of its core security strategies in 2022 that cleared the way for the acquisition of long-range strike capabilities — the most consequential shift in Japanese defence posture since the end of World War II.
Tokyo maintains the measures are an unavoidable response to mounting security pressures, pointing specifically to China's expanding military footprint in the East China Sea and its intensifying activities around Taiwan.
Beijing, however, remains unconvinced, insisting that Japan's security posture is veering in an increasingly offensive and expansionary direction — one that, in China's view, actively undermines the post-war international order and demands close scrutiny from the global community.
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