Japan seeks dialog, rejects neo-militarism label: defense minister
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attended the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on May 29, 2026. (Photo: JAM STA ROSA / AFP via Getty Images)
Jam Sta Rosa | Afp | Getty Images
According to defense minister Shinjiro Koizumi, “Japan’s door to dialogue is always open to the international community” even as it increases defense spending and revises arms export guidelines.
Speaking at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Koizumi stated that Tokyo constantly respects international law and said, “The path followed by Japan as a peace-loving nation is valued by the region and the international community. This fact will not be shaken by unfounded claims because it is a fact.”
He also said there was “nothing but the truth” about accusations that Japan was engaging in “neo-militarism.”
China’s defense ministry called on the international community on May 28 to jointly contain Japan’s “neo-militarism.” state media outlet Xinhua.
Japan has recently taken steps to expand its defense posture, including lifting a ban on lethal weapons exports and considering changes to arms exports. Article 9 of the ConstitutionWho renounces war and the maintenance of the armed forces.
Koizumi said, “Think about it. There is a country with a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan does not have such weapons, and yet Japan is labeled as neo-militarist. Isn’t it strange?”
The Japanese defense minister noted Beijing’s absence of a ministerial-level official at the Dialogue and said he was “sorry” for not being able to meet his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun at the forum.
Koizumi said that differences in perception and friction have arisen between countries, but it is not necessary to repeat “unfounded allegations in the absence of the other party.”
After Dong skipped the Dialogue for the second year in a row, Beijing sent a lower-level delegation led by Major General Meng Xiangqing of the People’s Liberation Army National Defense University.
At the beginning of the dialogue, Meng dealt a harsh blow to Tokyo and said that 2026 would be the year Japanese leaders had witnessed World War II in 1946. He stated that it was the 80th anniversary of the opening of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, where he was tried for crimes committed in World War II.
Transparency
In his speech, Koizumi also called for “trust, transparency and negotiation” in the Asia-Pacific to maintain peace and security in the region.
The Japanese defense minister said transparency was “the basis for reducing tensions and preventing crises.”
He said Tokyo would improve its defense capabilities with a “high level” of transparency, adding that Japan was strengthening those capabilities because of new methods of warfare emerging around the world, including artificial intelligence, cyber warfare and the use of unmanned systems.
Koizumi said, “We will make the necessary preparations with the awareness of responsibility.”
Koizumi also said China continues to increase its defense spending at high levels and is “rapidly expanding its military capabilities in a wide range of areas without sufficient transparency.”
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization stated in November 2022 that its members were concerned about China’s rapid and non-transparent military build-up. According to Reuters.
This situation caused serious concern in Tokyo and the international community; Koizumi also said Japan believes it is necessary to engage in “sustained, frank dialogue and communication” without shying away from difficult issues.
He acknowledged that nations will have different positions and views, “but that’s certainly because we need to have conversations.”
