China Criticizes Japan's Plan to Increase Defense Spending

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun. / ANTARA / Desca Lidya Natalia.

JAKARTA - The Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized the Japanese defense spending increase plan being drafted by the current ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

"Japan's defense budget has increased for 14 consecutive years, but Japan's right-wing forces still demand an increase in defense spending. This once again shows that Japan's 'peace-loving country' mask is beginning to fall off and the country is slipping towards neo-militarism," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun at a press conference in Beijing. reported by ANTARA, Saturday, May 23.

The LDP, which currently leads the Japanese government, is considering increasing the defense budget to 3-5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in line with the target driven by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The plan is one of the main discussions in the LDP Security Research Commission ahead of the revision of Japan's three major security documents at the end of this year, namely the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Development Program.

"According to the latest statistics, Japan's defense spending increased by 9.7 percent in 2025, reaching a record high. Its arms imports have increased by 76 percent over the past five years," said Guo Jiakun.

He reminded that after World War II, the Japanese Constitution imposed strict restrictions on the country's military, including the right to wage war, and established the principle of "exclusive defense" through legislation.

"Now, Japan's right-wing forces are pursuing increased defense budgets, easing restrictions on the export of lethal weapons, supporting the development of the defense industry, and even trying to make it an economic pillar to serve their military development agenda and remilitarization," said Guo Jiakun.

China also asked the Asia-Pacific countries to remain vigilant and reject measures that were considered to lead to Japan's neo-militarism in order to maintain regional stability.

The LDP draft says Japan "must continue concrete and realistic discussions based on its own assessment while taking into account the efforts of NATO and other parties." The Japanese government is also encouraged to strengthen its economic, fiscal, and financial foundations as the basis for national security.

The proposal for revising the security document is scheduled to be submitted to the Japanese government in early June 2026.

Defense budget

The government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has previously raised the proportion of security spending to 2 percent of GDP by the end of 2025, faster than the initial target of fiscal year 2027.

US President Donald Trump also encouraged NATO member countries to increase core defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP and a total of 5 percent if combined with other related defense spending by 2035.

On the other hand, the US military plans to place the Typhon medium-range missile launcher and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in southwestern Japan in June 2026 for joint exercises with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF).

The system will be stationed at the Kanoya Air Base of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force in Kagoshima Prefecture during the joint exercises Valiant Shield and Orient Shield which take place between June and September. After the exercises are completed, Typhon and HIMARS will be moved to US military bases in Japan for storage.

"China opposes the deployment of US intermediate-range missile systems in Asian countries, and has stated this several times. The deployment of Typhon, a strategic offensive weapon, will harm the legitimate security interests of other countries, threaten regional strategic security, and increase the risk of military confrontation and arms races," Guo Jiakun said.

According to him, this step will only harm peace and stability in the region.

"For years, people from various Asian countries, including Japan, have voiced their opposition to the deployment. China urges the US and Japan to listen to the appeals of regional countries, correct their wrong practices, and play a positive role with real actions for regional peace and stability," said Guo Jiakun.

He added that military exercises involving the Typhon and HIMARS systems were another example of Japan's accelerated remilitarization.

"Various signs show that the Japanese right wing is trying to carry out a thorough restructuring of Japan's military capabilities and prepare for what is called 'protracted conflict'. This will basically erode the Japanese Constitution and international and domestic legal rules, and challenge the post-war international order, which is inconsistent with Japan's image as a 'peaceful country'," said Guo Jiakun.