Japan Rejects Militarism Claims, Cites China's Arsenal

Japan Rejects Militarism Claims, Cites China's Arsenal

Japan's Defence Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, on Sunday, June 2, at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, refuted accusations of Japanese "new militarism" from Beijing, instead expressing concern over China's military expansion and lack of transparency. Koizumi's remarks directly addressed China's repeated criticisms regarding Japan's increasing defense budget and military capabilities.

Koizumi highlighted that Japan's defense spending, which has seen 12 consecutive years of increases, reached over 9 trillion yen ($57 billion) in its latest budget. This move aims to achieve a target of 2% of GDP allocated to military expenditure. He emphasized that Japan's defense updates are a natural response to new challenges and contribute to regional peace, promising high transparency and continuous dialogue with other nations.

The minister contrasted Japan's military posture with China's, noting that China possesses a "huge arsenal" of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers, which Japan does not. He questioned the labeling of Japan with "new militarism" given this disparity. Koizumi reiterated that China's continuous, high-level defense spending and rapid military expansion without sufficient transparency are matters of serious concern for Japan and the international community, while affirming Japan's openness to communication with China.