China's Ministry of National Defense on Saturday slammed Japan for accelerating its remilitarization push and attempting to break through its postwar nuclear constraints, warning that the country's neo-militarism is becoming a destabilizing force in the region.
Chen Xi, a defense ministry spokesman, made the denunciation in response to a media query about Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent policy speech and reports that Japan is considering introducing nuclear-powered submarines as part of the planned revision of its three key security documents by the end of the year.
"Japan is a defeated nation in World War II and must fulfill its obligations as a defeated nation, including eradicating militarism, destroying its war machine, and prohibiting rearmament," Chen said.
"However, Japan's ruling authorities, under the pretext of so-called 'peripheral security threats', are accelerating its remilitarization process and even attempting to break through the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, seeking gradual nuclear loosening, and pushing a security policy in an offensive, expansionist, and dangerous direction. This gray rhino of neo-militarism is mutating out of control and charging ahead at full speed, becoming a prominent factor challenging the postwar international order, undermining the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and threatening regional peace and stability," he warned.
On the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, formally known as the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, Chen said "history's judgment is not yet over."
"Japan should deeply reflect on its war-related crimes, make a clean break with militarism, and stop the dangerous acts of constitutional revision, military expansion, and pursuit of nuclear weapons. Otherwise, it will only repeat the mistakes of the past and struggle to have a future," the spokesman said.
China warns of Japan's 'out-of-control' remilitarization
China warns of Japan's 'out-of-control' remilitarization
A quake-damaged primary school in Maru Township, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, has set up more than 30 tents on the playground to serve as temporary shelters for the teaching staff and their families.
The 7.0-magnitude quake struck Baqen County of Nagqu City at 22:33 Beijing time (1433 GMT) on Thursday.
Maru Township was among the areas hit hardest by the quake. The township's only primary school, Maru Township Primary School, was damaged heavily.
Two teaching buildings showed varying degrees of destruction, including visible wall cracks, shattered windows, and some structural collapses. The dormitories for the teaching staff and the students were also affected. Fortunately, all the students and teachers were safely evacuated.
Many of the students were sleeping in their dormitories when the quake occurred. Following the earthquake, the teachers immediately evacuated the students to safety.
"We went to the dormitories right away. Some students were still sleeping, so we woke them up and got them out," a teacher said.
While some teachers were injured in the quake, no students were hurt.
The school's sports field has now been converted into a centralized shelter, where over 30 thick, cotton tents have been set up for the teaching staff, their families, and logistics workers.
Supplies inside the tents are plentiful, including thick quilts, food, snacks, and local specialty tea. Power was restored the day after the earthquake, and logistics staff are ensuring three meals a day for everyone.
One child living in the shelter said six people share a tent, and the quilts distributed to them are quite thick.
"It feels like home because my family is here, and I have my meals here in the morning, at noon, and in the evening," the child said.
Since the winter vacation has not yet begun, the school is actively working out a plan to address the students' schooling, including online teaching or transferring students to nearby safe schools.
To cope with the winter cold, the school has applied to local authorities for prefabricated housing units, which are expected to arrive in the next two days. These units will replace the tents and serve as temporary classrooms.
Quake-damaged school in Xizang sets up tents on playground to shelter teaching staff, their families
