ANI
22 May 2021, 01:48 GMT+10
Beijing [China], May 22 (ANI): Beijing has expressed concern over Tokyo's plan to increase military spending to counter China, and has accused its neighbouring country of stoking military tensions in the region.
Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi in an interview with Nikkei Asia on Wednesday said the country could take a "radically different approach" to counter China's increased capabilities, a remark that signals Japan's readiness to let go of its long-standing 1% GDP ceiling for annual defense spending.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Friday accused Japan of advocating arms race. "The Japanese side made these irresponsible remarks to blatantly advocate arms race, play up regional tensions, provoke a military confrontation, and even attempt to interfere in the Taiwan question and China's internal affairs," he said.
The spokesperson warned its neighbour, saying that "Japan should not overstretch itself.""We once again warn the Japanese side that the determination and will of the Chinese government and military to safeguard national sovereignty, security and unity is rock-firm. Japan should not overstretch itself," he said.
This reaction comes in the backdrop of a joint statement by Joe Biden and Yoshihide Suga stressing the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait. It was the first mention of the self-ruled island in a joint statement since 1969, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
Kishi's remark could be "a trial balloon" in a push for constitutional reform but an increase in military spending to 4 or 5 per cent was unlikely soon, said Liu Jiangyong, a Japanese affairs expert at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
"But what is worth noting is that the so-called defence budget is not only for defending Japan but an increasing part of it would be invested in the US-led global military strategy so that Japanese military, even in the case of no attack, could join the US and fight overseas, which also raises its so-called defence input," Liu said, as quoted by SCMP. (ANI)Get a daily dose of Taiwan Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Taiwan Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration is scrutinizing Apple's plans to partner with Chinese tech giant Alibaba to bring its artificial...
TOKYO, Japan: Nissan is reportedly considering shutting down two car assembly plants in Japan and several overseas factories, including...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks weakened across the board on Tuesday, led by the tech sector once more. I would say that the largest...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Google One, Alphabet's subscription service that offers cloud storage and AI-powered features, has surpassed...
BEIJING, China: China's sales of heavy trucks could be dominated by electric vehicles by 2028, with battery-powered models potentially...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden: Apple has blocked access to the popular video game Fortnite on iPhones in the United States and through Epic Games'...
LEXINGTON, St. LOUIS: A strong spring storm caused tornadoes overnight in the U.S. Midwest and Ohio River Valley, killing at least...
BANGKOK, Thailand: An American political science teacher, Paul Chambers, is still stuck in Thailand, even though the government dropped...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: A federal judge has decided to take control of New York's Rikers Island jail away from city officials due...
KATHMANDU, Nepal: An Indian climber and a Filipino climber were the first to die on Mount Everest during the current climbing season...
MOSCOW, Russia: Russia has sentenced a 33-year-old Australian man to 13 years in a high-security prison for fighting with Ukrainian...
ALMATY, Tajikistan: Tajikistan has officially removed criminal liability for liking social media posts that the government deems extremist,...