Chinese defense spokesperson slams "China threat" rhetoric in Japan's new defense white paper

A Chinese defense spokesperson on Tuesday refuted contents related to the Chinese military in Japan's new defense white paper, noting that it is hyping up the so-called "China threat" rhetoric, which merely serves as an excuse for Japan to ease restrictions on its own military buildup.

In response to a relevant media query, Chen Xi, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said Japan's false accusations against China are a classic case of "a thief crying 'stop thief.'" He expressed China's strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the white paper.

The remarks came after Japan's Defense Ministry released its "Defense of Japan 2026," which described China's military activities as Japan's "greatest strategic challenge ever." The report also criticized Chinese military activities in areas around the Taiwan region and portrayed an increasingly severe regional security environment.

Chen dismissed the white paper as being "filled with false narratives," saying Japan was using security concerns as a pretext to remove long-standing restraints on its military.

According to Chen, Japan's ruling authorities have accelerated the revision of the country's three key security documents, continuously increasing defense spending, expanding long-range strike capabilities, and attempting to embed military expansion into its national institutions, industries and public opinion.

Chen warned that Japan's "new militarism" has become a serious challenge to the postwar international order and the real threat to regional peace and stability.

The spokesperson also reiterated that the Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and matters to the political foundation of the relations between China and Japan.

"We urge Japan to earnestly reflect on its history of aggression, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, stop misleading the Japanese public and the international community, and refrain from going further down the wrong path of remilitarization," Chen said.