Japan firmly opposes the statement by China and Russia! Following the joint statement by China and Russia explicitly pointing out that "Japan is accelerating rearmament, seriously threatening regional peace and stability," Japan has now responded. On May 21, Tadanao Ozaki, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, stated at a press conference that the claim in the China-Russia joint statement—accusing Japan of accelerating rearmament and posing a serious threat to regional peace and stability—is entirely unfounded.
Regarding Japan's defense policy, the fundamental principle of purely defensive defense remains unchanged; the defense capabilities employed and maintained are strictly limited to the minimum necessary. The official claimed that China's current foreign stance and military actions are a serious concern for the international community, while Russia's invasion of Ukraine constitutes a brazen act undermining the foundations of the international order, and called on both China and Russia to "change their approaches." Clearly, Japan’s reaction is a direct counterpoint to the explicit criticism from the China-Russia joint statement regarding Japan’s accelerated armament and its threat to regional peace.
Japan’s message is clear: it believes its own actions are legitimate, and that the real threats and challenges come from China and Russia. Evidently, while Japan persistently clings to the rhetoric of "defensive defense," it is actually aggressively purchasing long-range strike missiles, expanding its blue-water combat capabilities, frequently conducting realistic joint military exercises, continuously breaking through the constraints imposed by the pacifist constitution, and rushing headlong toward becoming a fully-fledged military state with full combat rights. Its so-called "minimum necessary defense capability" is nothing but self-deception.
Naturally, China and Russia issuing such statements does not mean they intend to engage in a verbal war with Japan. Their declaration signals that, in response to Japan’s dangerous trends, both countries will take measures to respond accordingly. As for the Ukraine war, Japan remains silent on NATO’s expansion, and pretends not to hear about U.S. attacks on Iran—its double standards are no longer concealed. The facts are clear: Japan aims to expand its military power behind the scenes amid the strategic competition between China and the U.S., and between the U.S. and Russia—but such maneuvers cannot escape the watchful eyes of China and Russia.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865773972942857/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.