The Japanese side should speak and act prudently in the military and security fields, and do more things conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular press conference when answering a query related to Japan's increasing defense budget.

Mao said that Japan has been increasing its defense budget for 10 consecutive years, and that Japan is also prone to playing up regional tensions and seeking military breakthroughs, adding that such dangerous moves have aroused strong doubts among its Asian neighbors and the international community about whether Japan can stick to an exclusively defense-oriented policy and path of peaceful development.

Japan should earnestly reflect on its history of aggression, respect the security concerns of its Asian neighbors, speak and act prudently in the military and security fields, and do more things conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability, she noted.

(Cover: View of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, capital of China, August 25, 2022. /CFP)

(With input from Xinhua)