Japan's exaggeration of so-called external threats is driven by ulterior motives: spokesman

Japan's exaggeration of so-called external threats is unfounded and driven by its ulterior motives, Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

Jiang made the remarks in response to a media query regarding Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments that Japan needs to prepare for prolonged conflicts.

"We are all aware of the undeniable fact that Japan invaded all of its neighboring countries. As a nation that once inflicted profound suffering upon the people of Asia and the world, and that has yet to genuinely reflect on its historical crimes of aggression, Japan is now keeping exaggerating the so-called external threats -- a completely unfounded narrative driven by ulterior motives. It's more than obvious that the true intention of the Japanese administration is to divert public attention from domestic problems, mislead the international community and pursue 'remilitarization'. The Japanese side has pushed forward the revision of the three national security documents, vigorously developed offensive military capabilities, and even clamored for the possession of nuclear weapons. Such dangerous moves are very alarming," said Jiang.

"China upholds the principle of looking towards the future while learning from history. The crux of the issue is to heed historical warnings so that past tragedies will never be repeated. Peace-loving people around the world should unite to resolutely curb the resurgence and spread of 'neo-militarism' in Japan, and to firmly uphold regional peace and stability for the safety and well-being of the people," he said.

Japan's exaggeration of so-called external threats is driven by ulterior motives: spokesman

The three astronauts of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceflight mission have boarded the spacecraft for a flight to China’s Tiangong space station.

The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to blast off at 23:08 Beijing Time (15:08 GMT) from northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The three Chinese astronauts, commander Zhu Yangzhu, spacecraft pilot Zhang Zhiyuan and payload specialist Lai Ka-ying, climbed aboard the spaceship with the help of technicians.

Following the launch, the astronauts will complete an in-orbit rotation with the outgoing Shenzhou-21 crew, and one of them will conduct a one-year in-orbit stay, double the usual duration of previous Shenzhou missions.

Notably, astronaut Lai Ka-ying is also the first astronaut from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Shenzhou-23 marks the 40th flight of China's manned spaceflight program, and the seventh manned flight mission since the Tiangong space station entered its application and development phase in late 2022.

Shenzhou-23 astronauts board spaceship ahead of launch