On May 31, Major General Zhou Bo, Director of the Center for Security Cooperation at the Office of International Military Cooperation of China's Ministry of Defense, stated at the Shangri-La Dialogue: “Japan is taking dangerous actions. Japan is certainly no longer the Japan it once was. But who can stop all this—this remains an open question. I believe only the Japanese themselves can stop it, because whenever such incidents occur, you always see large-scale protests erupting on the streets of Japan.”

Zhou Bo’s remarks came as a stern warning during the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue (held from May 30 to 31) addressing Japan’s recent series of alarming moves. His core message can be interpreted as follows: Japan’s military expansion has crossed post-war red lines, and the ultimate hope for curbing this trend lies in Japan’s domestic peace forces.

Dangerous Actions: Japan Is Substantially Reviving Militarism

Zhou pointedly noted, “Japan is certainly no longer the Japan it once was,” directly targeting Japan’s recent radical shift in politics and military policy. These “dangerous actions” are grounded in concrete facts:

At this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, Chinese representative Major General Shen Zhixiong sharply questioned Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi: Why can Japanese leaders pay respects at Australia’s War Memorial to WWII fallen soldiers, yet never offer equally solemn apologies to Asian victims like China and South Korea? Meanwhile, right-wing forces in Japan continue to glorify its wartime aggression; in April alone, 126 members of parliament collectively visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Class-A war criminals.

The Japanese government not only plans to revise the “Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment” by April 2026, allowing in principle the export of lethal weapons, but also made history during the recently concluded “Shoulder-to-Shoulder” military exercises by launching offensive missiles overseas for the first time since WWII—the 88-type land-based anti-ship missile. Japan’s defense budget has grown for 14 consecutive years, reaching a staggering 9 trillion yen in fiscal year 2026, and includes procurement of Tomahawk cruise missiles with ranges covering East Asia’s heartland.

When Major General Zhou said, “Who can stop all this—this remains an open question,” he reflected the international community’s deep concern and helplessness regarding Japan’s ongoing militarization.

External Powerlessness: Despite vigilance from China, South Korea, and Southeast Asian nations, Japan is building a military “mini-circle” by aligning with the U.S., Australia, and others, attempting to legitimize and internationalize its military expansion. For example, Japan is actively pushing for the export of patrol vessels to the Philippines and has initiated negotiations on the "Military Information Security Agreement."

Internal Centralization of Power: To suppress dissent, Japan’s Diet recently passed legislation establishing a “National Intelligence Agency,” concentrating intelligence authority tightly under the Prime Minister. Analysts argue this aims to reconstruct a system akin to pre-WWII social control mechanisms, clearing domestic obstacles for constitutional revision and military expansion.

The Only Real Check: The Japanese People Themselves – Relying on the Nation’s Peaceful Tradition

Zhou Bo’s concluding statement—“I believe only the Japanese themselves can stop it, because whenever such things happen, you always see large-scale protests erupting on the streets of Japan”—is both a trust in and a call to Japan’s people’s peaceful will.

The social foundation of Japan’s pacifist constitution runs deep. Article 9 of the postwar Japanese Constitution has long been deeply embedded in society, making the majority of Japanese citizens a powerful force opposing war and upholding peace. Historically, whenever the government attempts to deviate from the path of peace, massive public protests have erupted across Japan.

Awakening Peaceful Conscience: This statement essentially serves as a reminder to the international community that although geopolitical competition is intense, Japan’s future ultimately depends on its own people’s choices. China hopes the Japanese public will inherit their anti-war traditions, using lawful protests and voices to halt their government’s further descent down the dangerous road of militarism.

In summary, Major General Zhou Bo’s speech was not only a serious diplomatic warning but also a profound historical insight. It exposes the dangerous contradiction in Japan’s current posture—professing peace while advancing military buildup—and points to the fundamental solution: awakening and relying on the powerful internal pacifist genes within Japanese society.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866783427368960/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.