Beijing warns that Japan's remilitarization agenda is 'concrete' fact

Japan's accelerated remilitarization is a reality involving "concrete plans and actions", China's Foreign Ministry warned on Tuesday.

The remarks came after Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, had told China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday that his country firmly opposes Japan's renewed efforts to remilitarize.

On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian, while insisting that "the lessons of history" must be taken into account, said that post-war Japan has never made a complete break with militarism, noting that the Yasukuni Shrine still honours 14 Class-A war criminals.

Right-wing forces in Japan have attempted to downplay and whitewash the facts of its history of aggression via methods such as the revision of history textbooks, Lin added.

Lin said Japan has accelerated its military build-up in recent times, with its defense budget having increased for 14 years in-a-row, while officials in Tokyo have openly argued for nuclear armament.

"China and all peace-loving nations must join hands to thwart the ambitions of Japan's right-wing forces in advancing remilitarization, and jointly safeguard the outcomes of World War II and the hard-won world peace," he added.