China on Wednesday slammed Japan's move of deploying offensive weapons, calling the deployment extremely dangerous and urging the international community to stay vigilant.
On Tuesday, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said long-range missiles with counterstrike capabilities had been deployed in Kumamoto and Shizuoka prefectures, a move that has sparked domestic opposition.
Demonstrations were held in Japan on Tuesday evening as Japanese citizens voiced strong opposition to the government's decision to deploy long-range missiles in the country.
"Japan is deploying offensive weapons under the guise of 'defense' and 'counterattack', which clearly exceeds the scope of its 'self-defense' and 'exclusively defense-oriented' policy. This constitutes a severe violation of provisions in instruments with legal effect under international law, including the [1943] Cairo Declaration, the [1945] Potsdam Proclamation and the [1945] Japanese Instrument of Surrender, and of Japan's own Constitution and existing domestic norms. This once again demonstrates that the far-right forces in Japan are pushing the country's security and defense policies towards an offensive and expansionist direction. Japan's neo-militarism is posing a threat to regional peace and stability, and the international community should remain highly vigilant about this," said Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, at a press conference in Beijing.
"I have also noticed that many Japanese civil groups and individuals have clearly expressed their opposition. Not long ago, a Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) officer illegally entered the Chinese Embassy in Japan with a knife. Instead of reflecting on the SDF's own serious deficiencies in control and management, the Japanese side has been busy hyping up 'external threats' and accelerating military expansion. This behavior is extremely dangerous. We solemnly urge the Japanese side to deeply reflect on its history of militarist aggression, strictly abide by its commitments in the military and security fields, and act with prudence," she said.
China slams Japan's 'dangerous move' of deploying offensive weapons
China slams Japan's 'dangerous move' of deploying offensive weapons
