Japan rejects China’s “new militarism” accusations.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tokyo’s expanding military strategy is meant for “cooperation and regional stability” — not a return to its wartime past.
But the message was also directed at Beijing.
Koizumi opposed any attempt to change the regional status quo “by force or coercion” — a clear reference to China’s growing activities in the East and South China Seas, and tensions over Taiwan.
Behind the diplomacy,
the real battle is becoming clearer:
China sees Japan’s military normalization as containment.
Japan sees China’s rise as the region’s biggest strategic threat.
And across Asia,
the security architecture is rapidly shifting.
Source: SCMP