Home>News Center>China
       
 

FM: Japan military 'gossiping' hides issue
By Cao Desheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-12-09 06:05

Japan should explain its own military tendencies to the world before gossiping about other nations' national defence expenditure, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday.



Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang answers a question at the ministry's routine press briefing in Beijing December 8, 2005. [fmprc.gov.cn]
Referring to Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso's remarks about China's military budget, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said it was Japan's recent moves that should cause serious concern among the international community.

Aso said in a speech in Tokyo on Wednesday that China needs to embrace political transparency and be more open about its military budget to ensure its rising economic and diplomatic power is not seen as a threat in Asia.

"China has repeated that its military budget is open and transparent," Qin said. "A white paper on national defence published last December clearly mapped out the military expenditure last year."

He added China adopts a defensive national defence policy. "I feel Japan should interpret its military tendencies to the world."

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party has been pushing for the post-World War II pacifist constitution reform to begin by calling government troops the Japanese Military instead of the Self Defence Force.

The constitution drafted by US occupation forces and unchanged since 1947 bars the use of military force in settling international disputes and prohibits maintaining armed forces for warfare.

Meantime, Japanese troops have taken an increasingly high-profile role in recent years, prompting some critics to accuse Tokyo of moving away from its post-war pacifism.

Earlier in 2001, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi pushed through special legislation to let the navy provide logistical support to forces in Afghanistan for the US "war on terror."

Analysts say such efforts are chipping away at the pacifist society Japan has built since World War II.
Page: 12



Researchers collect water samples from Songhua River
Wen Jiabao visits Czech Republic
Sea bridge to open on December 10
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

FM: Japan military 'gossiping' hides issue

 

   
 

Appeals on death penalty in open court

 

   
 

China confirm fifth human case of bird flu

 

   
 

US, China eye cooperation on Iraq, Iran

 

   
 

US jet slides off Chicago runway; boy dies

 

   
 

Largest beer producer to buy Chinese brewer

 

   
  Chemical plants to be checked
   
  Washroom bustup may have caused shooting
   
  FM: Japan military 'gossiping' hides issue
   
  Fake green vegetables on shelf among genuine ones in Shenyang
   
  City unveils new satellite first-aid facilities
   
  20 farmers in 5.4m yuan bank scam
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Numerous pacts for EU-China summit
   
Numerous pacts for EU-China summit
   
China condemns Japan's war crime whitewash
   
Japan-Taiwan fishing talks opposed
   
Off-colour Japanese textbooks seized
   
China, Japan to tighten ties via financial talk
   
China, Japan to tighten ties via financial talk
  News Talk  
  It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008  
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement