Chinese defense spokesman warns against Japan's remilitarization

BEIJING -- A Chinese defense spokesman on Tuesday called on peace-loving people to stay highly vigilant and take firm actions to curb Japan's "reckless" neo-militarist moves.

Chen Xi, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query about Tokyo framing China as "an unprecedented and greatest strategic challenge", while pursuing long-range strike capabilities.

The Japanese side has repeatedly peddled the so-called China military threat narrative to deliberately stoke confrontation and fabricate excuses for seeking a massive military buildup, Chen stressed.

He pointed out that Japan, as it accelerates its remilitarization, is becoming a powder keg for the Asia-Pacific region, noting that the country has drastically hiked its defense spending, eased restrictions on exports of lethal weapons, and pushed forward the deployment of medium- and long-range missiles.

Chen also called on peace-loving people to prevent Japanese neo-militarism from wreaking havoc across the world, and to defend the post-war international order and enduring peace.