On August 5, China’s Foreign Ministry said it had lodged a formal protest with Japan over its newly released defence white paper. Beijing accused Tokyo of deliberately amplifying the so-called China threat, making unfounded claims about Taiwan and using them to justify the expansion of its military capabilities.
Japan published its annual defence report on August 4. The document states that China has intensified military activity around Taiwan and that the overall balance of forces across the Taiwan Strait is shifting rapidly in Beijing’s favour. Tokyo describes China’s military activities as a serious threat to Japan and the international community, as well as the country’s greatest strategic challenge.
China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the assessment, insisting that Taiwan is an internal Chinese matter in which Japan has no right to interfere. The ministry described Beijing’s military activities around Taiwan as “legitimate and reasonable“.
Beijing also accused Tokyo of seeking a pretext for its military build-up and gradually weakening Japan’s post-war defence restrictions. Chinese authorities urged Japan to stop using China to justify military expansion and to refrain from interfering in the Taiwan issue.
