China criticizes Japan's record defense budget plan

Japan's new defense budget plan reveals the sinister intentions of Japan's right-wing forces to push for the country's remilitarization and resurrect militarism, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday.

Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked to comment on Japan's approval of its record defense budget plan exceeding 9 trillion yen (about $58 billion) for fiscal 2026.

"Despite the international community's continuous criticism over Japan's military and security moves, Japan plans to substantially increase its defense budget once again instead of reflecting on its actions and exercising restraint," Lin said.

(Cover: File photo of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian. /VCG )