China has expressed concern over Japan’s deployment of security personnel to NATO’s mission in Ukraine.
“Japan has been pursuing remilitarisation at full throttle, engaging in frequent interactions with a military organisation from outside the region, expanding the scope of activities of its Self-Defence Forces, and building a combat-ready operational system,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing on Monday.
He was responding to a question about Japan’s defence ministry announcement on Friday that it will send four Self-Defence Forces (SDF) officers to the NATO Security Assistance and Training Organisation for Ukraine.
“This is Japan trying to break free from the constraints of its Constitution, domestic and international laws, and its exclusively defence-oriented principle,” said Lin.
Following Russia's war in Ukraine, NATO established the mission in Germany in 2024 to coordinate the provision of military equipment and training to Ukrainians.
“The malevolent emergence of neo-militarism in Japan is putting regional peace and stability under threat. The international community must stay on high alert and take resolute countermeasures,” he said.
Heated exchange
Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro said dispatching its soldiers to the mission would strengthen Japan's defence capabilities.
Reacting to comments by Koizumi during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend, Lin said Japanese militarists "committed horrendous crimes in World War II and inflicted untold sufferings on their Asian neighbours and Allied nations."
Japan’s defence minister took a veiled swipe at China on Sunday, pledging to keep strengthening the military. Although Koizumi did not name China, he said there "is a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither of these weapons, and yet Japan is labelled neo-militarist."
To this, Lin said: "Japan’s latest defence budget has exceeded 9 trillion yen, hitting a record high for 14 consecutive years since WWII. Its defence spending per capita has reached three times that of China, and total defence expenditure has surged to 2% of GDP with plans to further go up to 3.5 percent."
"The remarks from the Japanese official (Koizumi Shinjiro)... have no basis at all. They have zero authority in the face of history, law, facts, and figures. No way making such remarks will help Japan earn the trust of its Asian neighbours and the international community," Lin added.
