Japan defence minister rebuffs claims of ‘new militarism’ levelled by China | Japan
Japan’s defense minister dealt a veiled blow to China on Sunday, vowing to continue strengthening the military despite Beijing’s criticism of Tokyo’s increasingly strengthened security posture.
Under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan, with the encouragement of the United States, turned to a more proactive defense policy, further shaking the pacifist perspective that had existed since the end of World War II.
The change has been frequently rebuked by Beijing, which accuses Tokyo of pursuing a reckless policy of “new militarism” that could destabilize the region.
Japanese defense minister Shinjiro Koizumi hit back on Sunday, saying “nothing could be further from the truth.”
“Think about it. There’s a country with a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers,” Koizumi said at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
“There are no such weapons in Japan. And yet Japan is labeled as ‘new militarism’. Isn’t it strange?” he said, without mentioning China by name.
China is thought to have hundreds of nuclear warheads and has been rapidly developing its military in recent years.
A diplomatic row has been ongoing between the Asian rivals since Takaichi suggested in November that Japan might intervene militarily if China tried to seize Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as part of its territory.
Koizumi said China was expanding its military capabilities “without sufficient transparency” and that its military activities were “a matter of serious concern for Japan.”
He said Tokyo would “steadily improve its defense capabilities and make continuous updates with a high degree of transparency”, including in the areas of artificial intelligence, unmanned systems and cyber and space defence.
“Japan’s history as a peace-loving nation is valued by the region and its people. [the] international community. “This truth cannot be shaken by false allegations because it is a fact,” he said.
The Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia’s most important defense forum, bringing together security officials and experts from nearly 45 countries.
Unlike Japan (and its ally the United States), China sent a watered-down delegation that did not include defense minister Dong Jun for the second year in a row.
Koizumi said he was “sorry that we did not have the opportunity to meet this time.”
