Koizumi rebuts Chinese ‘new militarism’ claims, spotlighting Beijing’s own buildup
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has delivered a sharp rebuttal of Chinese accusations that Japan is sliding back toward “militarism,” using a speech to instead spotlight Beijing and its own military buildup.Speaking before an audience of defense officials and analysts at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday, the defense chief directly addressed a label increasingly used by Chinese officials and state-run media to describe Japan’s largest military buildup since World War II, which includes the revision of key strategic documents and a historic increase in defense spending.“Distinguished guests, some of you may have heard the term ‘new militarism,’ but nothing (could be) further from the truth,” he said, turning the tables on Beijing — without directly naming China — and underscoring what Tokyo sees as a mismatch between the Asian powerhouse’s own force posture and its political messaging about Japan’s defense evolution.
