China urges high alert over Japanese neo-militarism

BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The international community should stay on high alert to prevent and suppress the rise of Japanese neo-militarism, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday. Spokesperson Lin Jian made the statement at a daily press briefing, after the Japanese minister of defense recently rejected Japan being labelled a "neo-militarist" country at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 in Singapore. Lin said relevant remarks from the Japanese official were totally groundless, given historical facts, legal grounds and figures on the matter, adding that such a stance makes it impossible for Japan to earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community. Noting Japanese militarists committed horrendous crimes during World War II and inflicted untold sufferings on its Asian neighbors and Allied nations, Lin said that to prevent the resurgence of Japanese militarism, documents with international legal force, such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, had made clear provisions in this regard. The Japanese Constitution also made strict restrictions on the country's military forces, the right of belligerency and the right to war, and Japan has established the "exclusively defense-oriented policy" through legislation, Lin added. However, Lin said what the international community has witnessed is that Japan's latest defense budget has exceeded 9 trillion yen, hitting a record high for 14 consecutive years since WWII, adding that since the current Japanese government took office, it has attempted to further break through the regulations of international and domestic laws to challenge the post-war international order. "The Japanese official deliberately evaded Japan's historical crimes and the facts above. He even attempted to shift blame and create confusion. Is this a sign of unease, or an attempt to conceal Japan's own military expansionist ambitions? Under such circumstances, Japan's claim that it seeks dialogue is just performative and shows no sincerity at all," the spokesperson said. Pointing out that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials, Lin said some experts and scholars from other countries have noted that the erroneous words and deeds of Japan bear an alarming resemblance to the war-preparation process of Japanese militarism exposed at the Tokyo Trials and pose a threat to regional peace and stability. The international community must stay on high alert and firmly prevent and stop the spread of Japan's neo-militarism, Lin added.