China Asks Japan To Stop Looking For Reasons To Improve Military Capabilities

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian in a press conference in Beijing, Friday (11/14/2025). (ANTARA/Desca Lidya Natalia)

JAKARTA - China asks Japan to stop seeking justification in order to improve its military capabilities and return to its peace development commitments.

"We urge Japan to abandon its history of aggression, remain on the path of peaceful development, stop looking for excuses for its military development, and take concrete action to gain the trust of neighboring countries," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday (14/11).

He stressed this in response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments that China's military threat to Taiwan could "increase a situation that threatens Japan's survival."

Lin assessed Takaichi's comments contradicted Japan's strict constitutional control over World War II military operations, although the rules began to be relaxed since the revision of the 2015 security law.

He also expressed Beijing's concern over Tokyo's stance on the Three Non-Nuclear Principles of not having, not producing, and not allowing nuclear weapons to be in Japanese territory after Japanese officials implied the possibility of possessing nuclear-powered submarines.

"Although Japan claims to be a peace-loving and advocated world free of nuclear weapons, the Sanae Takaichi administration has made ambiguous statements about the Three Non-Nuclear Principles and implies the possibility to abandon these principles," Lin said.

He accused Japan of increasing its defense budget, loosening arms exports, and developing offensive capabilities in recent years. He also called Takaichi's statement about the potential for arms intervention in the Taiwan Strait a step that exacerbates regional concerns.

"As a result of these Japanese measures, neighboring Asian countries have questioned whether Japan has actually cut ties with militarism? ... Has Japan continued to act according to its commitment to peaceful development?" said Lin.

He added that extreme comments from Japan's far-right group targeting Chinese diplomats were irresponsible.

"We once again urge Japan to address the root of the problem, immediately correct and withdraw the baseless statement, and stop mixing the right and wrong," Lin said.

Lin's statement came after China's Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian wrote a threat to "put off his dirty neck without hesitation for a second" against PM Takaichi. The Japanese government called the post inappropriate and had filed a protest.

Responding to rising tensions, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi on Thursday.