Japan's Draft New Defense White Paper Reveals Concerns Over China's Military Moves
According to Kyodo News, the draft of Japan's 2026 Defense White Paper was disclosed on the 15th, expressing concern over the increasing frequency of Chinese military activities on the Pacific side.
The draft cites examples such as China's first simultaneous deployment of two aircraft carriers in the Pacific in June last year, and incidents involving Chinese fighter jets allegedly making "unusual close approaches" to Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) aircraft.
The document also mentions an incident in December last year when Chinese military aircraft directed radar at SDF planes southeast of Okinawa Island, accusing China of continuing to increase defense spending at a high level without transparency.
The analysis in the draft states that China has repeatedly conducted military exercises around Taiwan's surrounding maritime and aerial areas, aiming to normalize these activities and enhance combat readiness. Additionally, it points out China’s growing coordination with Russia, including joint flights of bombers over the East China Sea and the Pacific near Shikoku, expressing "serious concern."
Regarding China, the draft asserts that "the situation should be addressed through comprehensive national power and cooperation with allied and like-minded countries."
The official Defense White Paper report is expected to be reviewed at the Cabinet meeting as early as July.
Previously, in the 2025 edition of the Defense White Paper, Japan continued to label China as the "unprecedented greatest strategic challenge," falsely accusing Beijing of "unilaterally changing the status quo by force," and interfering in Taiwan-related issues.
In response, China's Ministry of National Defense spokesperson stated that Japan fabricates false narratives to justify expanding its military capabilities, greatly exaggerates the "China threat," and recklessly interferes in China’s internal affairs. China strongly objects and firmly opposes this. Japanese militarism once brought profound disasters to China and neighboring Asian countries. Rather than earnestly reflecting on its past, Japan is now demonstrating dangerous tendencies toward military expansion—seriously violating Japan's "Peace Constitution" and "exclusive defense" principle, severely undermining the post-war international order, and posing major challenges to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, which has triggered high alert and deep concern among Asian neighbors and the international community.
Source: sputniknews
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865332709427200/
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