China's Defense Ministry on Thursday condemned Japan for investing substantial funds to cultivate submissive attitudes toward Japan in China's Taiwan region, calling it a continuation of historical efforts to manipulate identity narratives in the region.

At a regular press briefing, Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, was asked about an investigative report noting that Japan has allocated over 13.1 billion yen ($84 million) in recent years to programs promoting pro-Japan views in Taiwan.