(Reuters) – The Japanese Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, rejected on Sunday the accusations of ‘new militarism’ against the country and criticized China for rapidly expanding its armed forces with little transparency, highlighting the rising tensions between the two countries.
China continues to increase its defense spending at a high level, Koizumi said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, adding: ‘The external approach and the military activities of China are issues of great concern for both Japan and the international community at the same time.’
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Countering critics who say Japan is adopting a new militarism, he said: ‘Think about it. There is a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan does not have any of these weapons and yet Japan is labeled as ‘new militarism’?’
Koizumi said that Japan’s history since World War II ‘speaks for itself,’ citing its adherence to international law and its commitment to the United Nations Charter, along with efforts to defend a ‘free and open international order’.
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In May, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Asia-Pacific countries to stay vigilant and ‘resist jointly the imprudent actions of Japan’s neo-militarism’.
At the Singapore forum, the Chinese delegate, Major General Meng Xiangqing, also criticized Japan.
‘I deeply doubt that a country that has not yet eradicated the toxic legacy of militarism is qualified to speak extensively about defense cooperation on international occasions and to gain the trust of the international community, especially the Asian countries it invaded,’ he said.
Relations between Japan and China reached their worst level in years after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could provoke a Japanese military response.
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China claims Taiwan as its own territory, despite objections from the Taipei government.
Koizumi said he is ‘sad’ not to be able to meet his Chinese counterpart at the Singapore event, the region’s premier defense forum, but he insisted that Japan remains open to engagement. ‘We keep the door open,’ he said, reaffirming Japan’s commitment to dialogue with China and other regional actors to promote stability.
For the second year in a row, China’s defense minister, Dong Jun, did not attend the Singapore security meeting, skipping opportunities to meet with his peers.
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Koizumi said that Japan is ‘determined’ to play a new role in defense equipment cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and aims to strengthen deterrence in the region in a tangible way.
‘We seek a region that can resist coercion. We seek a region that is not misled by falsehoods. We seek a region that is not influenced by pressure,’ he said.
In April, Tokyo unveiled its largest overhaul of defense export rules in decades, removing restrictions on overseas arms sales and paving the way for the export of warships, missiles and other weapons.
(Reporting by Jun Yuan Yong; additional reporting by Claire Fu)
