China has expressed serious concerns over Japan’s deployment of long-range missiles in Kumamoto and Shizuoka prefectures, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.
According to reports, long-range missiles with counterstrike capabilities have been brought into service for the first time at two Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) bases in Japan.
“Japan, under the pretext of defense and counter-strike, is deploying offensive weapons, going far beyond the scope of ‘self-defense’ and its exclusively defense-oriented policy,” Mao told a regular press briefing, adding that Japanese “new militarism” is threatening regional peace and stability, and the international community should remain highly vigilant.
Japan’s actions severely violate provisions of international law instruments such as the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, and also go against Japan’s constitution and existing domestic norms, Mao said.
She further stated that this reflects how Japan’s right-wing forces are steering the country’s security policy toward an offensive and expansionist direction.
“I have also noticed that many Japanese groups and individuals have voiced opposition publicly,” Mao said.
Referring to recent developments, Mao noted that an officer of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) illegally broke into the Chinese embassy in Japan with a knife. Instead of addressing internal mismanagement and loss of control within the SDF, Japan continues to focus on external threats and accelerate military buildup, she added, calling the trend highly perilous.
“We sternly urge Japan to deeply reflect on its history of militarist aggression, honor its commitments in the military and security domains, and act with prudence,” the spokesperson said.