China concerned about Japan's army building up

BEIJING - China on Friday urged Japan to stop making excuses for boosting its military capacity after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his eagerness to advance national debate on lifting a self-imposed ban on collective self-defense.

"For historical reasons, Asian neighbors are highly concerned about Japan's development in terms of politics and security. We hope Japan will follow a peaceful development path," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news briefing.

Japan should take history as a mirror, respect the concerns of countries in the region and do more to contribute to regional peace and stability, Hong said.

"Japan should stop creating or playing up tensions. Don't attempt to make excuses for boosting military capacity or adjusting military policies," Hong said.

Abe vowed on Thursday to beef up Japan's defense capability and promised active debate on the right to collective self-defense.

The Constitution of Japan enacted after the Second World War is known for the renunciation of the Japanese right to wage war.

For decades Japan has refrained from exercising the right to collective self-defense, in keeping with Article 9 of the Constitution which forbids the use of force to settle international disputes.