China's defense ministry calls for united efforts to contain Japan's militarism revival

BEIJING -- China's defense ministry on Thursday called on all peace-loving nations and peoples to take united actions to contain the revival of militarism by Japan's right-wing forces.

Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query about recent comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and another Japanese official on Japan's nuclear armament.

Also, a recent report by the Japanese Ministry of Defense criticized China's "rapidly growing defense spending" and "increasing activities near Japan," mentioning plans to deploy mobile radar equipment in Okinawa by 2026 to monitor Chinese military activities.

Noting that China's defense expenditure is reasonable, moderate, and remains below the global average as a share of GDP, Zhang said the operations of the Chinese military in relevant waters are fully in compliance with international law and international practice, and brook no interference or provocation.

"We urge Japan to cease its false narratives and halt targeted deployments against China. We will take resolute countermeasures against any harassment or provocations," the spokesman said.

Also, Zhang warned of an increasingly visible and dangerous tendency towards a militarist revival in Japan, as the country has relentlessly pursued remilitarization and accelerated its military buildup.

These actions constitute a blatant challenge to the bottom line of international justice, the post-WWII international order, and the global non-proliferation regime, posing a severe threat to peace and stability in the region and beyond, Zhang said.

"We call upon all peace-loving nations and peoples to take actions to resolutely contain the revival of militarism by Japan's right-wing forces, and prevent the world from sliding into turmoil or reliving tragedies of the past," the spokesman said.