Responding to a question regarding Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) executive council meeting on June 9 that approved a draft proposal on revising the country’s three key national security documents, which refers to China’s military development and the surrounding security environment, cites plans by NATO members to raise defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP, and emphasizes the need for a substantial increase in defense expenditures, while also calls for strengthening “counterstrike capabilities,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing on Wednesday that the draft once again exposes the intentions and moves of certain forces in Japan to pursue “remilitarization,” break through the post-war norms, and drastically expand the country’s military capabilities. The international community, including China, is highly concerned and vigilant about this. We have also noted that people of insight and anti-war groups within Japan have expressed concern and opposition in various forms.
Lin said the Japanese draft groundlessly accuses and smears China’s normal military activities while deliberately hyping up tensions in the surrounding region. Its purpose is nothing more than to mislead the Japanese public and the international community and create excuses for accelerating Japan’s “remilitarization.”
Under the pretext of “strengthening defense” and “passive response,” Japan’s right-wing forces are in fact vigorously developing offensive medium- and long-range weapons, enhancing force projection and forward deployment capabilities, and pushing Japan’s security policy in a more offensive and expansionist direction. They seek to deeply embed military expansion and war preparations into the country’s institutions, economic and industrial systems, and public discourse, gradually breaking through the constraints imposed by Japan’s Constitution, international law, and domestic regulations, abandoning the international obligations it bears, and challenging the post-war international order, Lin said.
This trend is becoming increasingly evident and highly dangerous. The international community must remain highly vigilant and take preventive measures against it, Lin added.
Global Times
