Japan hypes excuse for its military build-up

In recent years, Japan has developed a penchant for pointing an accusing finger at China each time it releases its annual defense white paper. This year is no exception. By repeatedly playing this trick, Tokyo not only aims to peddle a misleading narrative about China, but also intends to justify its own military ambitions.

Its latest defense white paper, which was released on Tuesday, reflects its wrong perception of China and plays the outdated tune of the "China threat" fallacy. Citing the Chinese military's activities in areas surrounding Japan, it falsely claims that China's military activities could "seriously impact" Japan's security.

Such accusations are totally unfounded and immediately drew strong protests from China. As a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated, China is committed to peaceful development and a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. China's defense development and military activities are legitimate and justified, and brook no unwarranted accusation. Japan should reflect on how its actions have contributed to tensions in the region, prompting the Chinese military to step up its vigilance and response preparedness. In recent years, Japan has repeatedly exploited the tensions it has created over China's Diaoyu Islands as a means to justify its militarization.

It is only natural that the Chinese military should conduct military activities in such forms as military exercises and training in the relevant waters so as to step up the country's defense capability and safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of the growing security challenges from Japan.

Japan's defense white paper also states that Russia's "military cooperation" with China is another cause for concern, claiming that the two countries' joint bomber flights and naval drills in the waters around Japan are "a demonstration of force against Japan".

Such hyperbolic scaremongering with a clear double standard is hardly worth refuting as China's military cooperation with other countries is fully consistent with international law and international practice. Again, Japan should look into a mirror and see how it has enthusiastically jumped on the US bandwagon of containing China and colluded with the US and its allies to stoke tensions in the region.

The venom of Japan's latest defense document does not end there. It also includes a new and "growing concern" about "an increase in military activity" by the People's Liberation Army around Taiwan island, an issue that constitutes blatant interference in China's internal affairs. Outside interference cannot change the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and how the Taiwan question is resolved is no concern of Japan.

By including more China-related content in its defense white paper this year, Japan is actively echoing the US strategy of peddling a "China threat" narrative in the region, and more importantly, finding excuses to justify its own military build-up. In recent years, its desire to become a military power in the region by constantly breaking the limits of its pacifist Constitution has already raised the alarm both at home and abroad.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). Yet, Japan's new defense document, chock full of a Cold War mentality, indicates the country has failed to conduct any thorough soul-searching over that part of history, let alone showing true repentance for the suffering it caused its neighbors through its past militarism.

Japan should act as a responsible country and deeply reflect on its war crimes, earnestly draw the right lessons from history, and stop exaggerating tensions in hyping up a "China threat" as a pretext for its own military expansion, so as not to lose more trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community.