Japan’s defense minister made a subtle jab at China on Sunday, vowing to continue strengthening the military despite Beijing’s criticism of Tokyo’s increasingly muscular security posture.
Under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan has accelerated its shift toward a more proactive defense policy, further swaying — with US encouragement — its pacifist outlook since the end of World War II.
The change has drawn frequent rebukes from Beijing, which has accused Tokyo of pursuing a reckless policy of “new militarism” that could destabilize the region.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi responded on Sunday, saying “nothing could be further from the truth.”
“Think about it. There is a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers,” Koizumi said at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
“Japan has none of such weapons. And yet, Japan is labeled (as) ‘new militarism’. Isn’t that strange?” he said, without naming China.
China is believed to possess hundreds of nuclear warheads and has rapidly developed its military in recent years.
A diplomatic spat between the Asian rivals has been simmering ever since Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could intervene militarily if China tried to invade 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 to Japan.”
Tokyo will “steadily build up 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 defense, he said.
“Japan’s past as a peace-loving nation has been valued by the region and the international community. This fact will not be shaken by false claims, because it is a fact,” he said.
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The Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia’s premier defense forum, bringing together security officials and experts from around 45 countries.
In contrast to Japan – and its ally the United States – China has sent a weakened delegation which does not include Defense Minister Dong Jun for the second year in a row.
Koizumi said he “felt sad that we weren’t able to have the chance to have a meeting this time.”
