China's Defense Ministry said Japan's accelerating remilitarization is turning the Asia-Pacific into a 'powder keg', accusing Tokyo of inflating a supposed 'China military threat' to justify loosening military restraints. The ministry pointed to sustained large increases in Japan's defense budget, eased restrictions on lethal weapons exports, plans to deploy medium- and long-range missiles, expansion of offensive capabilities, and moves to revise the pacifist constitution and become a 'combat-ca

China's Defense Ministry said Japan's accelerating remilitarization is turning the Asia-Pacific into a 'powder keg', accusing Tokyo of inflating a supposed 'China military threat' to justify loosening military restraints. The ministry pointed to sustained large increases in Japan's defense budget, eased restrictions on lethal weapons exports, plans to deploy medium- and long-range missiles, expansion of offensive capabilities, and moves to revise the pacifist constitution and become a 'combat-capable' state, warning these steps risk regional destabilization and urging containment of what it called 'new militarism'.