China voices concern over Japan easing rules on arms exports

China has expressed serious concern over the Japanese government's revision of rules to allow overseas sales of weapons, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Guo said the international community, including China, will remain highly vigilant over Japan's recent moves in the military and security fields.

He noted that Japan's past militarist aggression inflicted immense suffering on China and other Asian countries, and stressed that a series of international legal documents, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, set out clear requirements for Japan's complete disarmament and restrictions on rearmament-related industries.

Guo added that experts and scholars have also raised concerns about the possibility of Japan reviving its war-making capacity and exporting conflict abroad. He said Tokyo's accelerated push toward remilitarization is reflected in concrete plans and actions, and reiterated that China and the broader international community will stay alert and firmly oppose any resurgence of militarism.