Japan dismisses claims by Russia, China over its ‘remilitarisation’

Caught between a wavering US and an anxious neighbourhood, Japan is done apologising for building its military back up

Japan on Thursday dismissed criticism from China and Russia over its "remilitarisation" as "unfounded."

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a joint statement on Wednesday that Japan is accelerating remilitarisation and threatening regional peace and stability.

Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said at a news conference that Japan wants China to "change its behaviour" over issues such as Beijing’s military activities, which he said are a "cause for serious concern for the international community," and urged Russia to "stop its invasion of Ukraine," according to Kyodo News Agency.

Putin concluded a two-day visit to China on Wednesday.

Japan’s relations with China have deteriorated since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks last November that China's possible use of force against Taiwan, which it considers a breakaway province, could constitute a survival-threatening situation for Japan, in which the country could exercise its right of collective self-defence.

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Since then, China has repeatedly expressed its opposition to Japan's rearmament efforts.

Japan, in a significant departure from its postwar security posture, scrapped longstanding restrictions on military equipment transfers last month, opening the door to the export of lethal weapons as it seeks to expand its defence industry and strategic reach.

Reuters reported in April that Japan's imminent easing of arms export rules sparked strong interest from Warsaw to Manila, as President Donald Trump wavers on security commitments to allies and the wars in Iran and Ukraine strain US weapons supplies.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ruling party approved the changes this week as she tries to invigorate the pacifist country's military industrial base. Her government will formally adopt the new rules as soon as this month, three Japanese government officials told Reuters.

Despite largely isolating itself from global arms markets since World War Two, Japan spends enough on its own military - $60 billion this year - to sustain a sizeable defence industry capable of manufacturing advanced systems like submarines and fighter jets.