Chinese political advisor warns of Japan's military expansion

BEIJING - A senior Chinese military officer and national political advisor has urged Tokyo not to use the recent Islamic State hostage incident to justify its overseas military expansion.

The comment, made by Yin Zhuo, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), came weeks after the beheading of two Japanese citizens by Islamic State militants.

In the wake of the incident, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he plans to draft legislation to allow the nation's Self-Defense Forces to be deployed overseas to rescue Japanese nationals in danger.

The move shows that the Abe government is encouraging public opinion in his country in favor of overseas military expansion, Yin, also director of the Expert Consultation Committee of the People's Liberation Army Navy, told Xinhua.

Obviously, the United States, whose military presence around the world is waning, wants help from Japan and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

"Counterterrorism may now also be used by the Japanese government to make its overseas military expansion seem legal and reasonable," Yin added.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

China is expected to unveil its military budget for this year at the upcoming "two sessions", the annual meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, and the CPPCC National Committee, the top political advisory body.

Japan has been voicing worries over China's military budget growth, which it said has caused instability in the region.