Japan urged to adhere to a peaceful path

Beijing urged Tokyo on Monday to adhere to peaceful development and follow the four political documents between China and Japan, which serve as the political foundation of bilateral relations.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular news briefing after media reports said that Japan's ruling coalition had won a supermajority in a parliamentary election on Sunday.

Though the election was an internal affair of Japan, it "indicated some deep-rooted issues and trends" that are "worthy of profound reflection", Lin said.

"We urge Japan's ruling authorities to face, rather than ignore, the concerns of the international community, to follow the path of peaceful development instead of returning to militarism," Lin said.

He called on Japan to "abide by the four political documents between China and Japan, rather than go back on commitments made".

Japan's ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party secured 352 seats in the snap election, surpassing the two-thirds majority needed to enact bills approved by the House of Representatives, or lower house, but rejected by the House of Councillors, or upper house, public broadcaster NHK reported early Monday.

The LDP, which had 198 seats before the election, gained control of two-thirds of the 465-member lower house on its own after winning 316 seats.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's victory in Sunday's vote has drawn growing attention to the country's political trajectory and regional security outlook. Experts warned that the result could accelerate Japan's rightward shift, strengthen its military posture and heighten regional tensions.

Hiroshi Shiratori, a professor at Hosei University in Tokyo, told China Daily that the election result is likely to push Japan to further advance its security and intelligence agenda.

Since taking office in October, Takaichi has not made a clear commitment in the Diet — the Japanese parliament — to uphold Japan's long-standing Three Non-Nuclear Principles — not possessing nuclear weapons, not producing them and not permitting their entry into the country — but instead has moved to increase defense spending and revise key security documents.

On the issue of constitutional revision, Shiratori noted that the LDP's acquisition of more than two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives means it now has the numbers needed to initiate a constitutional amendment in the lower house.

A two-thirds majority is a key threshold in modern Japanese politics, as it is required to initiate the constitutional amendment process, which also needs a referendum.

"If constitutional revision moves forward, Japan may shift from its passive, exclusively defense-oriented posture to a more active exercise of the right of collective self-defense, and could even pursue more proactive overseas operations," Shiratori said.

The professor also noted that Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, which renounces war as a sovereign right and prohibits Japan from maintaining armed forces with the potential to wage a war, is founded on a pacifist principle, adding that the Three Non-Nuclear Principles serve as an important guardrail of that pacifism.

Jin Yongming, a professor at Ocean University of China's School of International Affairs and Public Administration, said the result of the election is likely to steer Japan toward a more assertive military and diplomatic posture, heightening regional tensions and increasing the risk of confrontation.

"Japan's Diet is likely to tilt further to the right. Under a government led by Takaichi, there could be renewed efforts to revise its 'three security documents', ease restrictions on arms exports, and expand Japan's military capabilities, which would mark a significant shift away from its postwar pacifist trajectory to a more overtly militarized posture," Jin said.

Lin, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, warned that Japan's far-right forces will face resistance from the Japanese people and a strong response from the international community if they misjudge the situation and act recklessly.

China's policies toward Japan remain stable and consistent, and will not change because of a single election in Japan, Lin said, urging the Japanese side to retract Takaichi's previous erroneous remarks that hinted at military intervention in the Taiwan Strait.

Japan should take concrete actions and demonstrate the necessary sincerity in upholding the political foundation of bilateral relations, Lin added.

Jin, from Ocean University of China, warned that "tensions and strategic rivalry" between the two countries are likely to persist in the foreseeable future, as Japan has long portrayed China as a "challenge" to its national interests and has amplified the so-called "China threat" narrative. It has also actively sought to build exclusive security blocs aimed at constraining China's development, he said.

"Heightened confrontation between China and Japan would likely weigh on Japan's trade with China, undermining the performance of its manufacturing sector and constraining broader economic growth. It could also impede the momentum of regional cooperation, slowing both its overall progress and institutional development," he added.

Contact the writers at wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn