Japan rejects ‘new military’, says China is rapidly acquiring weapons | Story

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi criticizes China for its lack of military transparency and emphasizes the need for dialogue to maintain stability.

Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has dismissed claims that Tokyo is pursuing a “new military strategy” and accused China of rapidly expanding its military base without showing it.

China continues to increase its defense spending at a high level, Koizumi said on Sunday at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

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“China’s external appearance and military actions are matters of great concern to Japan and other countries at the same time,” he added.

Imagine: There is a country that has many nuclear weapons and bombers.

Koizumi said Japan’s history since World War II “speaks for itself”, saying it adheres to international law and is committed to the United Nations Charter as well as working to establish a “free and open world order”.

In May, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the countries of Asia Pacific to be vigilant and “resolutely resist Japanese neo-militarism”.

At the Singapore conference, the Chinese representative Major General Meng Xiangqing criticized Japan.

“I doubt very much whether a country that has not completely resolved the history of war is qualified to talk a lot about security cooperation in international affairs and whether it can convince people of all nations, especially the Asian countries that have occupied it in the past,” he said.

Relations between Japan and China reached their worst level in years after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned in November that a mock attack by China on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Japan.

China claims Taiwan as its territory in opposition to the island’s government.

Koizumi said transparency comes from “discussion and discussion” and lamented that China did not send its defense minister to the meeting, but insisted that Japan was still willing to participate.

“We keep the door open,” he said, reaffirming Japan’s commitment to dialogue with China and other regional players to promote stability.

As China has been expanding and improving its military, Japan has been reshaping its defense policy. Last month, Takaichi’s cabinet lifted a ban on the export of lethal weapons, a major reversal of his post-war pacifist policies.

Japan is promoting cooperation

Separately on Sunday, Mr Koizumi praised US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his commitment to the Asia Pacific but at the same time stressed the need for continued strong global cooperation.

“Division weakens deterrence. Unity strengthens deterrence,” he said at a conference in Singapore.

“If gaps arise between the United States, Europe and allies and like-minded countries, opportunistic forces will emerge,” he said.

“We must avoid this. We must continue our cooperation. This is the time to strengthen our cooperation.”

US President Donald Trump has been angry with NATO members, and his comments at the Shangri-La summit came a day after Hegseth also criticized Western European allies at the summit for not spending enough on defense.