‘Offensive, expansionist and dangerous’ – China slams Japan for ‘revival of militaristic past’

Rising Concerns Over Neo-Militarism

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesperson Lin Jian strongly condemned Japan’s policy shift towards reinforcing military capabilities at a regular press conference in Beijing on Thursday, as Tokyo seeks to revert wartime military ranks.

“Japan has been pushing for a more offensive, expansionist, and dangerous defence policy and has torn up its ‘pacifist’ rulebook. Japan’s latest move to reinstate WWII military ranks out of ‘a sense of honour’ is a breach of long-existing rules and will instil a wrong perception,” he stated.

“We cannot but ask: Is Japan still indulged in a dream of reviving militarism? What exactly is this ‘sense of honour’ built on? The rise of neo-militarism in Japan is posing a real threat to world peace and stability,” Lin added.

The Japanese government plans to submit a revised Self-Defence Forces Act to the Diet, focused on altering the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) rank titles to resemble those used by the former Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II. Tokyo cited the need for international standardisation and creation of a ‘sense of honour and pride’.

Regional media reported public concern over the move as a significant step from Japan’s post-war pacifist posture inside and outside the country.

Regional Security and Taiwan Tensions

It comes as Japan adopted a policy of strengthening national security through a more assertive ‘Japan First’ strategy. As part of it, expert panel discussions were launched on the revision of three key security documents: the National Security Strategy, National Defence Strategy, and Defence Buildup Program.

The spokesperson went on to comment on a proposal from a parliamentary group in Japan to the national government to “safeguard an environment where the people of Taiwan can freely engage with their democratic partners” after the trip of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te was cancelled due to revoked flight ‌permits from Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar.

“There are also many discussions on ‘comfort women’, forced war labour, and other issues left from history, as well as indigenous peoples and minority rights in Japan. Yet some politicians in Japan either keep silent and play deaf to those issues or point fingers at Taiwan, which is inherently part of China. Guess they are the only ones who know what its hidden objective is,” he said.

Taipei accused Beijing of forcing African nations to block the airspace through economic ‘coercion’, including revoking debt relief. President Lai defended his country’s right to engage in international affairs, stating, “the harder China suppresses us, the more we must demonstrate a spirit of fearlessness”.

Beijing welcomed the position and ‘practice’ of the three nations in adhering to the ‘One China’ principle but rejected the accusations of pressuring the countries.

Myanmar and Aung San Suu Kyi

Addressing Myanmar’s new President Min Aung Hlaing, and Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, Lin refused to comment on whether they discussed former Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi but described the politician as an ‘old friend of China’.

“Her circumstance has always been on our minds,” he stated.

As a State Counsellor of Myanmar, she served as de facto country leader from 2016 to 2021. Since the military takeover in 2021, 80-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi remains detained at an undisclosed location, with no public appearances.