Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding China's Taiwan region and her administration's substantial military expansion will heighten regional tensions, said a Japanese scholar said.
At a Diet meeting in November 2025, Takaichi claimed that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and implied the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, which drew strong criticism worldwide.
Akemi Yonemura, a former UNESCO staff member, said in an interview with the China Central Television that Takaichi's inappropriate statements are not isolated incidents, but reflect deeper underlying issues.
"I believe it's inappropriate. I think there are people behind this, such as those in the military-industrial sector. So, it's the so-called behind-the-scenes society that seeks to profit from war. Unless you change it, I'm afraid this pattern will not change," she said.
As Japan continues to relax restrictions in defense policy and arms exports, Yonemura called for a re-evaluation of the country's development direction to avoid excessive allocation of resources to the military sector.
"I hope money is not funneled into the weapons business, but invested in other fields. War must be avoided at all costs. It is precisely based on this belief that this time, I hope we do not increase defense spending, but instead build a society where funds are directed toward social welfare, education, and other such areas," she said.
In late last year, the Japanese government approved a draft budget for fiscal 2026, with defense spending set at about 9.04 trillion yen (about 58 billion U.S. dollars), marking a new record high and sparking public concern.
Former UNESCO staff member calls for vigilance against Japan's military expansion
Former UNESCO staff member calls for vigilance against Japan's military expansion
