Taiwan East China Sea

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Refutes Japan's Defense White Paper: Has Lodged Solemn Representations with Japanese Side

外交部驳斥日本《防卫白皮书》：已向日方严正交涉

PLA Daily (解放军报) 5 August 2026

Summary

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian on August 5 lodged formal representations with Japan over the 2026 Japanese Defense White Paper, rejecting its characterization of China as the 'greatest strategic challenge' and its framing of Japan's defense industrial expansion as an economic growth engine. Lin specifically called out the white paper's advocacy for long-range strike capabilities and '新型作战方式' (new operational methods) as evidence of accelerating remilitarization that challenges the postwar order. The statement is standard MFA protest language, but the explicit targeting of the defense-industry-as-economic-growth framing documents Beijing's effort to delegitimize Tokyo's domestic political rationale for rearmament, not just the military posture itself.

Translation

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 5 — Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on the 5th, in response to questions about the Japanese government's release of the 2026 edition of the Defense White Paper, that the new Japanese Defense White Paper once again groundlessly smears and accuses China, hypes the so-called "China threat," wantonly meddles in China's Taiwan affairs, and crudely interferes in China's internal affairs. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes this, and has lodged solemn representations with the Japanese side.

A reporter asked: The Japanese government has released the 2026 edition of the Defense White Paper, designating China as the "greatest strategic challenge" and claiming that its defense investment is conducive to Japan's economic and social development. In response to the increasingly active operations of Chinese military forces in areas surrounding Japan, the white paper states that the situation "should be addressed through comprehensive national power and through cooperation and coordination with allies, partners, and others." What is the Foreign Ministry's comment on this? How does China assess the potential impact of Japan's accelerating military buildup? Does China believe that Japanese military expansion is trending toward normalization?

Lin Jian stated that China adheres to the path of peaceful development and pursues a defensive national defense policy, and that the relevant military activities are legitimate and reasonable. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory; the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, and how to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people themselves — the Japanese side has no standing to comment. The Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islands have been China's inherent territory since ancient times, and no matter what the Japanese side says or does, this fact cannot be changed.

Lin Jian said that Japanese militarism once brought profound catastrophe to Asia and the world and committed crimes too numerous to record. Yet rather than engaging in profound reflection on history, the Japanese side has instead continuously accelerated "remilitarization," broken through the constraints of Japan's constitution and domestic and international law, challenged the postwar international order, and become a prominent factor threatening regional peace and stability. The new edition of the white paper continues to advocate for the development of long-range strike capabilities and "new operational methods (新型作战方式)," and even packages the expansion of the defense industrial sector as an engine of economic growth — once again puncturing the lie of Japan's so-called "peaceful nation." The international community must remain highly vigilant and resolutely check this. We urge the Japanese side to deeply reflect on its historical crimes, earnestly draw lessons from history, stop seeking pretexts for military strengthening and arms expansion, and not go further and further down the wrong path.

Original Chinese

新华社北京8月5日电外交部发言人林剑5日在就日本政府发布2026年版《防卫白皮书》答问时说，日方新版《防卫白皮书》再次无端抹黑指责中方，炒作所谓“中国威胁”，妄议中国台湾事务，粗暴干涉中国内政，中方对此强烈不满、坚决反对，已向日方严正交涉。有记者问：日本政府发布2026年版《防卫白皮书》，将中国列为“最大战略挑战”，宣称其国防投资有利于日本经济社会发展。针对中国军队在日本周边地区活动日益活跃，白皮书称“应凭借综合国力以及与同盟国、伙伴国等的合作与协调予以应对”。外交部对此有何评论？中方如何评估日本加速军事建设的潜在影响？是否认为日本军事扩张趋于常态化？林剑表示，中国坚持走和平发展道路，奉行防御性国防政策，有关军事活动正当合理。台湾是中国领土不可分割的一部分，台湾问题纯属中国内政，如何解决台湾问题是中国人自己的事，不容日方置喙。钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿自古就是中国固有领土，无论日方说什么做什么都改变不了这一事实。林剑说，日本军国主义曾给亚洲和世界带来深重灾难，犯下罄竹难书罪行。然而日方非但未能深刻反省历史，反而不断加速“再军事化”，突破日本宪法和国际法国内法规制，挑战战后国际秩序，成为威胁地区和平稳定的突出因素。此次新版白皮书继续鼓吹发展远程进攻能力、“新型作战方式”，甚至将军工产业扩张包装为经济增长点，再次戳破日方所谓“和平国家”的谎言。国际社会必须高度警惕、坚决遏止。我们敦促日方深刻反省历史罪责，认真汲取历史教训，停止为强军扩武寻找借口，不要在错误的道路上越走越远。