Abe should be truthful on military ambition

BEIJING - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has tried again to play up the so-called China threat.

Speaking in a CNN interview broadcast on Sunday, Abe branded China's normal military development a source of concern for countries in Asia, appealed for more transparency in military capability and warned China not to attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion.

His aim is to shift attention from his recent controversial visit to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine, and seek excuses for the revival of Japanese militarism.

His blame is groundless and just a tactic to blind the world. Actually, China has offered an overall picture of its national defense ranging from the security environment, national defence policy, to defense expenditure and arms control in its white papers on national defense.

China, a victim of last century's two world wars, constantly sticks to the road of peaceful development, holding a defensive policy for national defense.

"The population of China is more than 10 times that of Japan and the area of China is about 26 times that of Japan, yet China's per capita military spending is only one-fifth of Japan's," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing on January 7.

"I believe it clear to all who is expanding military build-up and threatening security," said Hua.

Ironically, Abe's accusations came after his visit last month to the Yasukuni Shrine, a temple where 14 Class A war criminals of World War II, or the "Nazis of the East," are enshrined.

The visit, which in effect glorifies aggression and challenges post-WWII international order, infuriated Asian countries including China and South Korea.

In the working policy of Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party released earlier this month, the party said it will continue to visit the Yasukuni Shrine.

With its recent provocative moves, it is Japan that should check on its militancy.

The Abe government has been trying to amend Japan's post-war pacifist constitution so as to green-light expansion of the country's military force.

In December, Abe's cabinet approved a critical defense policy package comprising new defense program guidelines, a five-year defense buildup plan and the national security strategy.

In the security strategy, Japan vowed to seek more "proactive" roles for its military forces abroad and to set new guidelines on arms exports, signaling a major shift from its previous restrictive stance.

Despite Abe's deceptive rhetoric on dialogue with neighboring countries, his real thoughts are to enhance military presence via raising the military budget.

Again in December, the Japanese cabinet approved a record-high budget of 95.88 trillion yen (about 926.87 billion U.S. dollars) for the fiscal year. Defense spending was up 2.8 percent, marking the second straight year of rises.

When talking about breaking the status quo and threatening regional peace, it is Japan that wants to change the post-WWII world order while China works to safeguard it.

Abe, the leader of a country which was a violent but defeated invader, should put himself in the shoes of the victimized people, honestly reflect on a history of aggression and make real efforts to reduce tension in the region.

Currently, he is leading Japan in a dangerous direction.