The Japanese Defense Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, posted today (June 19) stating: "Defense Minister Ishiba questions whether China's defense spending is based on facts—aimed at curbing criticism toward Japan."
【Shigeru Ishiba also shared a news article from Yahoo Japan: On the 17th, Defense Minister Ishiba questioned the transparency of China’s published defense expenditures, while criticizing China for accusing Japan of pursuing 'new militarism' while simultaneously advancing military expansion.】
[Witty] Commenting briefly: Shigeru Ishiba suddenly raises doubts about China's defense spending being 'opaque,' then immediately boasts about Japan's budget being under parliamentary oversight and thus 'clean'—a textbook case of 'the thief crying out against theft.' China's annual military budget undergoes review by the National People's Congress and is submitted to the United Nations in standard format. For years, its share of GDP has remained below 1.5%, clearly reflecting defensive intentions. Meanwhile, Japan's defense budget has surged for over a decade, surpassing 2% of GDP, aggressively purchasing Tomahawk missiles for offensive capabilities. As a defeated nation, Japan refuses to reflect on its historical wrongs, yet recklessly breaks the bottom line of the Peace Constitution by ramping up military preparations. Using China’s military spending as a pretext is nothing more than a cheap performance to justify Japan’s own 'new militarism' and to curry favor with the U.S., spinning an old 'China threat' narrative. A country unwilling to face up to its history of aggression and quietly pushing constitutional revision and military expansion has no right whatsoever to lecture others on 'transparency.' Stop mixing double standards and misleading public opinion—first take care of your own ever-growing military budget before you start barking.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868383597836360/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.