Chinese side: Japan is stepping onto the path of new militarism

On May 22, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiajun presided over a regular press conference. A reporter from Beijing Daily asked about reports that the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan has proposed a draft recommendation to increase defense spending targets, citing countries where defense spending accounts for 3%-3.5% of GDP as a reference, while Japan only broke through 2% last year. At the same time, sales revenue of defense-related businesses of major Japanese military-industrial enterprises has also increased significantly in recent years. What is China's comment on this? Guo Jiajun said that the latest data shows that Japan's defense spending in 2025 increased by 9.7%, reaching historical highs in terms of both amount and GDP share, with a 76% increase in weapon imports in the past five years. Despite 14 consecutive years of military expenditure growth, right-wing forces in Japan are still clamoring for an increase in defense spending. This once again shows that Japan is gradually shedding its disguise as a "peaceful country" and stepping onto the dangerous path of "new militarism." Guo Jiajun pointed out that a series of internationally legally binding documents, such as the Potsdam Declaration and Japan's Instrument of Surrender, clearly stipulate that Japan should completely disarm and not maintain any industry capable of rearming for combat. The post-war Japanese Constitution strictly restricts the country's military and war rights and has established the principle of exclusively defensive defense through a series of relevant laws and regulations. Guo Jiajun said that the "military-industrial complex" was one of the important driving forces of historical Japanese militarism in hijacking the country towards expansionist aggression. Now, with right-wing forces in Japan pushing for a sharp increase in defense spending and opening up exports of lethal weapons, they are once again promoting the development of the military-industrial complex, and even attempting to make it an economic pillar to support military expansion and war preparations, serving the process of "remilitarization". Countries in the Asia-Pacific region should be highly alert, resolutely resist the reckless actions of Japan's new militarism, and jointly defend the peace and order of the Asia-Pacific region.