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Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, on Sunday, rejected accusations that Tokyo is embracing “new militarism" while criticizing China for rapidly expanding its military with little transparency as tensions between the two countries deepen.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Koizumi said China continues to increase defense spending at a high level and that its external approach and military activities are “matters of serious concern for Japan and the international community.”
“Think about it. There’s a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither of these weapons, and yet Japan is labeled ‘new militarism’?” Koizumi said.
Koizumi said Japan’s record since World War Two “speaks for itself,” citing its adherence to international law, commitment to the United Nations Charter and efforts to uphold a “free and open international order.”
China has repeatedly criticized Japan’s security policy. In May, China’s foreign ministry called on Asia-Pacific countries to be vigilant and “jointly resist the reckless actions of Japan’s neo-militarism.”
At the forum, Chinese delegate Major General Meng Xiangqing questioned whether Japan, which he said had “not thoroughly eradicated the toxic legacy of militarism,” was qualified to discuss defense cooperation or win the trust of Asian countries it once invaded.
Koizumi rejected the criticism, saying “nothing could be further from the truth.”
Ties between Japan and China have fallen to their worst level in years after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a Japanese military response.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory, over the objections of Taipei’s government.
Koizumi said Tokyo would continue to build up its defense capabilities with transparency, including in artificial intelligence, uncrewed systems, cyber defence and space defense.
Koizumi said he was “sad” he could not meet his Chinese counterpart at the dialogue, Asia’s premier defense forum, but said Japan remains open to engagement.
“We keep the door open,” he said, reaffirming Japan’s commitment to dialogue with China and other regional players to support stability.
For the second year in a row, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun skipped the Shangri-La Dialogue, missing opportunities to meet counterparts. The forum brings together security officials and experts from more than 45 countries.
Koizumi said Japan is “determined” to play a new role in defense equipment cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and aims to strengthen deterrence in the region.
“We seek a region that can stand against 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 biggest overhaul of defense export rules in decades, removing restrictions on overseas arms sales and opening the way for exports of warships, missiles and other weapons.
Separately, South Korean and Japanese defence ministers discussed the possibility of concluding a military-logistics support agreement, Yonhap News Agency reported Sunday.
South Korea’s Ahn Gyu-back said after meeting Koizumi that such a deal would require public understanding in both countries and should proceed with caution. The possible acquisition and cross-servicing agreement would allow the neighboring U.S. allies to share and mutually procure military logistics such as fuel, food and ammunition.
Japan is also seeking closer defense cooperation with the Philippines. In a meeting with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, the two countries confirmed that Japan would aim to transfer Abukuma-class destroyers and TC-90 aircraft to the Philippines during Japan’s fiscal year 2027, according to a Philippine statement.
Manila has been considering the Abukuma-class vessels, which are being retired by Japan, and has sent a military contingent to examine them in 2025.
Teodoro criticized China’s activities in the South China Sea, saying Manila “will not sacrifice our territorial integrity and sovereignty because our constitution does not allow us.”
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
As Teodoro spoke, China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said it had conducted “combat readiness patrols” around Scarborough Shoal, the site of a years-long territorial dispute with the Philippines.
The command called the patrols a countermeasure against rights violations and provocative acts around what it described as “an inherent part of China’s territory.”
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