Japan's military-industrial complex raises widespread concerns

BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The reactivation and rapid rise of Japan's military-industrial complex represents another major development in the country's accelerating remilitarization, raising widespread concerns both within Japan and across the international community, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. Mao made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a question regarding media reports that orders from Japan's defense ministry have tripled over the past five years and taken up half of the government's public procurement orders in fiscal year 2025. Mao stated that the Japanese government keeps easing restrictions and providing support for its military industry through allocating more funds, increasing institutional support and easing export restrictions. Senior officials of the Japanese government spare no effort to promote arms sales in the world in an attempt to develop the military industry into an economic pillar of the nation, she said. "This contravenes Japan's self-claimed image as a 'pacifist nation'," Mao said. According to Mao, a series of legally binding international instruments including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender explicitly require Japan to be completely disarmed and not to maintain industries that would enable it to re-arm for war. Government budget that should have been used to improve people's well-being is now used for military orders. Production lines that should have been used to produce home appliances are now churning out lethal weapons, she said. "Does Japan intend to return to the path of militarist expansion? All peace-loving people in the world, including the Japanese people, must stay on high alert," Mao said.