Regional arms race is clear and presents danger

Japan's litany of accusations against China has become standard fare. Its 2016 defense white paper disclosed last week by the country's media depicts China as a "muscle-flexing" country while turning a blind eye to the massive arms build-up in the Asia-Pacific - not least by itself.

According to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on Feb 22, the region as a whole bought 46 percent of global arms imports in 2011-15, up from 42 percent in 2010-14.

The London-based military publisher IHS Jane's found that total defense spending in the region bordering the South China Sea had increased by 71 percent between 2009 and 2015, with the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam registering the fastest-growing defense budgets in 2015.