China urges the Japanese side to abide by its commitments and act prudently in the military security field, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.
Lin's statement was in response to a query about reports saying that Japan recently fired Type 88 missiles in the joint military exercise "Balikatan" between the U.S. and the Philippines, the first time Japan launched offensive missiles overseas after World War II.
He said Japan's right-wing forces are pushing to accelerate remilitarization.
"Japan once carried out aggression and colonial rule over Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, bearing serious historical responsibilities. In such a special year that marks the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Tokyo Trials, the former aggressor not only failed to deeply reflect on its historical crimes, but instead, in the name of so-called 'security cooperation', dispatched military forces overseas and launched offensive missiles. This development once again demonstrates that the right-wing forces in Japan are pushing to accelerate its 'remilitarization' process, constantly breaking through the regulations related to its 'exclusively defense-oriented' policy and international and domestic laws. Some policies and actions have far exceeded the scope of self-defense," said Lin.
Lin also said that the neo-militarism in Japan is rising and threatening regional peace.
"The long-overdue historical education, fundamental errors in historical perspectives, and the strategic pursuit of military strengthening and war preparedness have collectively contributed to the emergence of 'neo-militarism' in Japan, posing a threat to regional peace and stability," said the spokesman.
"We urge the Japanese side to deeply reflect on its militarist aggression history and strictly abide by its commitments and stay prudently in the military security field," he said.
China urges Japan to honor commitments in field of military security: spokesman
