Japan refutes 'new militarism', accuses China of rapidly arming
"Think about it. There's a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither of such weapons, and yet Japan is labelled 'new militarism'?," said Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.
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SINGAPORE: Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Sunday (May 31) rejected accusations of "new militarism" by Tokyo and criticised China for rapidly expanding its military with little transparency, underscoring mounting tensions between the two countries.
China continues to increase its defence spending at a high level, Koizumi said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, adding: "China's external approach and military activities are matters of serious concern for Japan and the international community at the same time."
Rebutting criticism that Japan was embracing new militarism, he said: "Think about it. There's a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither of such weapons, and yet Japan is labelled 'new militarism'?"
Koizumi said Japan's record since World War II "speaks for itself", citing its adherence to international law and commitment to the United Nations Charter, alongside efforts to uphold a "free and open international order".
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In May, China's foreign ministry called on Asia-Pacific countries to be vigilant and "jointly resist the reckless actions of Japan's neo-militarism".
At the Singapore forum, Chinese delegate Major General Meng Xiangqing also criticised Japan.
"I deeply doubt whether a country that has not thoroughly eradicated the toxic legacy of militarism is qualified to talk extensively about defence cooperation on international occasions, and whether it can win the trust of the international community, especially the Asian countries it once invaded," he said.
Ties between Japan and China sank to their worst level in years after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a Japanese military response.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory, over the objections of Taipei's government.
Koizumi said he was "sad" he could not meet his Chinese counterpart at the dialogue, Asia's premier defence forum, but insisted Japan remains open to engagement. "We keep the door open," he said, reaffirming Japan's commitment to dialogue with China and other regional players to foster stability.
For the second year running, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has given the Singapore security meeting a miss, skipping opportunities to meet his counterparts.
Koizumi said Japan is "determined" to play a new role in defence equipment cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and aims to tangibly strengthen deterrence in the region.
In April, Tokyo unveiled its biggest overhaul of defence export rules in decades, scrapping restrictions on overseas arms sales and opening the way for exports of warships, missiles and other weapons.
MARITIME DISPUTES
In a meeting with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, the two countries confirmed that Japan would aim to transfer Abukuma-class destroyers and TC-90 aircraft to the Southeast Asian nation during Japan's fiscal year 2027, a Philippine statement said.
Manila has been eyeing the Abukuma-class vessels - which are being retired by Japan - for some time, with the military sending a contingent to examine them in 2025, AFP reported.
The countries have been deepening defence ties in the shadow of China's naval ambitions, announcing that they will discuss intelligence-sharing and open maritime border talks condemned by Beijing as an "illegal" violation of its expansive territorial claims.
Teodoro singled out Beijing's activities in the South China Sea for criticism, saying Manila "will not sacrifice our territorial integrity and sovereignty because our constitution does not allow us".
"To do so would be to subvert the popular, democratic and free mandate that the people gave our political leaders, unlike some autocratic systems where the mandate comes from above, dictated down."
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
As Teodoro spoke, China's People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command issued a statement online saying it had "conducted combat readiness patrols" in the waters and airspace around Scarborough Shoal, the site of a years-long territorial dispute with the Philippines.
The patrols "serve as an effective countermeasure to cope with all sorts of rights-violation and provocative acts" around the shoal, "an inherent part of China's territory", the statement said.
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