Senior Chinese military official meets Russian defense minister

Senior Chinese military official Zhang Shengmin on Tuesday met with visiting Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Beijing.

Zhang, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, said China is ready to work with Russia to continuously strengthen strategic communication, better safeguard the two countries' respective sovereignty, security and development interests, and effectively safeguard world and regional peace and stability.

Belousov said that Russia is ready to continue close coordination with China, strengthen strategic consultations, firmly support each other, expand practical cooperation in various fields, and push for more outcomes in the development of relations between the two countries and the two militaries.

As Japan on Tuesday marked the 80th anniversary of the promulgation of its pacifist Constitution, more than 10,000 Japanese citizens gathered in front of the National Diet building in Tokyo to protest moves by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government to revise the Constitution and expand military capabilities.

The Takaichi administration has recently made a series of moves concerning nuclear policy. After Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi repeatedly said that "no options are ruled out" in discussions about introducing nuclear-powered submarines, Takaichi told parliament this month that the government would seriously consider the possibility of the Self-Defense Forces acquiring such submarines in a "concrete and realistic manner."

"I believe that under the protection of the pacifist Constitution, Japan was not dragged into other countries' wars, and in some respects, the country was truly protected by the Constitution. But now some people want to abandon these restrictions, and Japan is moving step by step towards launching wars. In my view, relevant people are single-mindedly bent on starting a war, and they even incited the Japanese public hostility towards other countries. What kind of politicians would want to push for wars? That is why I come here to protest," said a protester.

Japanese media have reported that the government may revise the wording concerning the Three Non-Nuclear Principles when it updates the country's three key security documents by the end of this year.

"Japan today is heading to wars. I'm trying to do my part in stopping this trend. In particular, some people are trying to abandon the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is utterly absurd," said another protester.

"Military moves or wars cannot protect us. Wars are killing people. In the end, the only right path is diplomacy, through talking, communicating, and working hard, so as to find where we can resonate with each other. Revision of the Constitution absolutely must not be allowed, especially the kind of revision that attempts to turn Japan into a war-wielding country. It must not be allowed," said a protester.

Some at the rally said the Takaichi government's continued push for militarization has heightened tensions with neighboring countries.

"Japan's military budget is rising sharply. To maintain friendly relations with neighboring countries, Japan must not revise its Constitution, and the dangerous military buildup must not be allowed to go on," said another protester.

"I oppose the malicious revision of the Constitution, because I do not want Japan to become a country that launches wars again. Whether in military or economic terms, the Takaichi administration is showing extremely dangerous tendencies. The Takaichi administration is sparing no effort in trying to revise the Constitution, and this cannot be allowed to happen. We want to express our opposition by joining rallies like this," said a protester.