China’s defense ministry spokesman Colonel Jiang Bin said Japan Ground
Self-Defense Force exercises with the US and Australia, presented as defensive,
are facilitating forward deployment of strategic offensive weapons, damaging
other countries’ security interests and raising the risk of an arms race and
military confrontation that threatens regional stability. The ministry accused
Tokyo of breaching its pacifist constitution and the defense-only principle by
expanding long-range offensive capabilities and accelerating remilitarization
through foreign drills, aligning with external powers to promote bloc
confrontation and stoke tensions. It warned that any actions that encourage
Japan’s military ambitions would imperil the region and backfire on Japan, and
urged relevant countries to respect others’ security concerns and reverse
course.
