Japanese politicians, scholars oppose military expansion, constitutional revision

A gathering of Japanese politicians and scholars was held in Tokyo on Friday to oppose the Japanese government's intention to expand its military and revise the constitution, calling on the government to abide by the pacifist constitution.

Yoshiko Kira, a member of the House of Councilors, criticized the dangerous pursuit of the government of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the meeting.

"Now, the Takaichi administration is pursuing a path that could lead the country into war, including the intention to revise the constitution. It cannot be overlooked that they are trying to forcibly transform Japan into a nation capable of waging war. Under such circumstances, the public sense of crisis is growing stronger. Just a few days ago, on March 10, about 8,000 people gathered outside the National Diet building, chanting slogans such as 'No to war' and 'Stop trampling on the Constitution'," said Yoshiko Kira.

Ikue Nonaka, an honorary professor of Meiji University, said that an excessively high defense budget will squeeze funding for social security, education, and other sectors, thereby undermining people's quality of life.

"[The defense budget is said to be raised to] two percent or even three percent [of GDP]. However, due to limited fiscal resources, this will inevitably result in cuts to the social security budget, and the education budget will also be impacted," said Nonaka.

"I just mentioned the issue of sci-tech innovation, highlighting the significant decline in research capabilities of Japanese universities. Japan was once a world leader in many fields, but now it is struggling to maintain its position in the rankings. The main reason is that the budget allocated for basic research and university funding is insufficient. In this situation, expanding the defense budget would only exacerbate the problem -- not only would research capabilities decline further, but social security would also fall short of support, which means that people will have to to endure a more difficult life," she added.

Japanese politicians, scholars oppose military expansion, constitutional revision

Nearly 100 guests from the Chinese and American business, academic, and media sectors gathered in New York Friday to discuss new opportunities brought to the world by China's blueprint for high-quality development.

The "China in Springtime: China's Development Opportunities for the World" high-level dialogue, hosted by China Media Group, came after the "two sessions" concluded in Beijing, an event watched closely by many industry leaders in the United States.

Speakers said that as a key window into contemporary China, the annual "two sessions" once again drew global attention. This year's meetings approved important documents, including the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). This roadmap for China's high-quality growth is seen as providing a new list of opportunities for the world.

Participants emphasized that China's development cannot be separated from the world, and global prosperity also requires China. They described this year as significant for China-U.S. relations, calling for a steady, sound, and sustainable development in bilateral ties that benefits both nations and the world.

During the session, guests from the investment and technology sectors explored topics such as the potential for China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as the global opportunities arising from technological innovation and new quality productive forces.

The event also featured screenings of CMG-produced programs, including an amazing martial arts performance presented by a dozen humanoid robots with young Kungfu artists at the recently staged Spring Festival Gala, China's most-watched TV show.

The dialogue series will be held in countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

High-level dialogue in New York brings China's development opportunities to world