Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi addressed accusations from China on Sunday that Tokyo was pursuing "new militarism," rejecting the claim in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a security forum for Asian leaders and diplomats, while drawing a comparison between the two countries' military capabilities.
"Think about it," Koizumi said in his speech. "There is a country in the region that possesses an enormous arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has none of these types of weapons, yet it is Japan that is being labeled as practicing 'new militarism'?"
Koizumi added that since the end of World War II, Japan has been careful to respect international law and the UN Charter. He said the country had invested efforts in preserving and strengthening a free and open international order in the region.
China's absence
Koizumi's remarks followed an official statement by China's Foreign Ministry, which called on countries in the Asia-Pacific region to remain vigilant and "jointly oppose Japan's new militarist actions." Koizumi said in his speech that he felt "sadness" that he had not been able to meet his Chinese counterparts at the current conference.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun did not attend the Singapore security gathering for the second consecutive year. The Chinese minister's absence prevents direct meetings between Beijing's security leadership and its counterparts in neighboring countries, through a channel considered central to clarifying diplomatic misunderstandings.
As Washington focuses on Iran, Japan is moving to tighten security cooperation with its allies in the region. Tokyo says the government's latest moves are intended to strengthen the deterrence required in the region, against the backdrop of China's growing military power.
