China warns Japan's 'neo-militarism' threatens postwar order

A Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman on Saturday criticized Japan's plans to strengthen its defense capabilities and consider introducing nuclear-powered submarines, warning that such moves would undermine the postwar international order and threaten regional peace and stability.

Chen Xi, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent statement that Japan would revise its three key national security documents by the end of the year to fundamentally strengthen its defense capabilities.

Media reports have also suggested that the Japanese government is considering including plans to introduce nuclear-powered submarines in the revisions.

Chen said that, as a defeated country in World War II, Japan must fulfill its obligations to eliminate militarism, dismantle its war-making capabilities and refrain from rearmament.

However, the current Japanese administration is accelerating the country's remilitarization under the pretext of so-called "security threats in its neighborhood", while seeking to break through its three non-nuclear principles and gradually ease restrictions on its nuclear policy, Chen said.

"These moves are steering Japan's security policy in an increasingly offensive, expansionist and dangerous direction," he added.

"'Neo-militarism' has become a mutating gray rhino, running increasingly out of control and accelerating at full speed, posing a serious threat to the postwar international order, the international nuclear nonproliferation regime, and regional peace and stability," Chen said.

Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, also known as the Tokyo Trials, Chen urged Japan to deeply reflect on its wartime responsibility, completely break with militarism, and stop pursuing constitutional revision, military expansion and nuclear armament.

"Otherwise, Japan risks repeating the mistakes of the past and jeopardizing its future," he said.