Tokyo plays up 'threat' to justify its military expansion, experts say

Japanese military authorities are trying to play up the China threat theory as an excuse for the country's military expansion, Chinese experts said after a media report on Japan's forthcoming defense white paper.

The white paper, to be submitted to the Japanese Cabinet for approval early next month, is expected to say that Beijing's activities in the South China Sea are making its territorial claims a fait accompli, according to Kyodo News, which said it had obtained an outline of the paper.

"We have noticed the report, and the situation still needs to be verified and considered," the Ministry of National Defense told China Daily on Wednesday.