Chinese military lashes out at Japanese defense documents

BEIJING - Chinese military on Friday accused Japan of using the pretext of safeguarding its own national security and regional peace for military expansion.

The Japanese government approved its first national security strategy on Tuesday. Based on it, new defense program guidelines and a mid-term defense buildup plan were also adopted.

"China is firmly opposed to Japan's relevant actions," said Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng in a statement.

He said the three documents aimed at playing up the "China's military threat", increasing regional tensions and using the pretext of safeguarding Japan's own national security and regional peace for its military expansion.

On the one hand, Japan claimed that it is a peace-loving country, and that it adheres to a defensive defense policy and will not be a military power. On the other hand, Japan is peddling the so-called "proactive pacifism", said Geng.

In its new defense program guidelines, Japan gave up the policy of building of a moderate self-defense force and proposed to revise the "Three Principles on Arms Exports".

Japan also planned to purchase advanced armament like F-35 stealth fighters, surveillance drone fleet and Aegis destroyers and tried to form a fast-response-amphibious unit, said Geng.

Where is Japan's military and security policy going? Geng questioned, adding that it causes great concerns from Japan's Asian neighbors and international society.

On the one hand, Japan claimed that it respects freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, but on the other hand, it repeatedly denied its history of aggression during the Second World War, challenged the post-war international order and hurt the feeling of the people of the war-victim countries, he said.

As a nation that can not reflect on its history, what qualification does Japan have to speak about freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law? How can the country make contributions to the world peace? Geng said.

Japan has on the one hand claimed to strengthen international coordination, safeguard peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and make efforts to ensure security and prosperity of the international community, but on the other hand it sticked to the Cold War mentality and beefed up military alliance with relevant countries, he said.

Japan also tried to woo other countries to create regional confrontation and roil the regional situation, he said, noting that Japan's actions run counter to the trend of the times featuring peaceful development and win-win cooperation, said the spokesman.