Recently, the Japanese government has finalized a plan to revise the rank titles of Self-Defense Forces (SDF) officers and intends to submit the relevant amendment bill to the Diet (Japanese parliament) within this year. Under the proposed changes, some of the rank titles would revert to those used by the former Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Friday calls the move a "brazen" pretext, warning the shift signals "new militarism" and threatens regional and global peace and stability.