China warns against Japan's remilitarization ahead of WWII surrender anniversary

China's Ministry of National Defense on Friday urged Japan to reflect on its wartime aggression and stop what it described as dangerous acts of remilitarization, ahead of the 81st anniversary of Japan's announcement of unconditional surrender in World War II.

Defense spokesperson Chen Xi made the remarks when asked to comment on Japan's upcoming defense budget request for fiscal year 2027. The planned request totals around 8.9 trillion yen (about $55.9 billion), set to reach yet another all-time high. 

Chen recalled that 81 years ago, struck hard by China and global anti-fascist forces, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. "Before that, Japanese militarists had plunged the whole Asia into an abyss of bloodshed and disaster," he said, citing atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre, the Bataan Death March, and the Death Railway between Thailand and Myanmar. He added that these crimes inflicted untold sufferings on the peoples of other Asian countries and beyond, and even on the Japanese people themselves.

Chen said Japan had failed to truly draw lessons from history after its defeat in World War II. It has long condoned its right-wing forces whitewashing and denying crimes of aggression, sought every possible means to break free from the pacifist Constitution and exclusively defense-oriented principle, and attempted to challenge the post-war international order. As a result, Japan has become detrimental to regional peace and stability.

The spokesperson also criticized Japan's recent moves to substantially increase its defense budget, rigorously develop offensive capabilities and aggressively expand its military industry under the pretext of addressing so-called external threats. "Japan's neo-militarism has laid bare its true ambition, and we must stay vigilant against the dangers posed by it," he said.

"Historical facts must not be forgotten, and justice and peace must not be compromised," Chen said. He urged Japan to earnestly reflect on itself, recognize and atone for its crimes, strictly adhere to the post-war international order, and stop its dangerous acts of remilitarization.

"Any return to the wrong path will bring a more crushing defeat and a more complete reckoning," Chen added.