Japan has released its defense white paper at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The report said the DPRK still poses a “serious and imminent threat”, and also devoted 35 pages to comment on China's national defense system, and its maritime activities in the East and South China Seas. It said that such activities created "a strong concern" for Japan.
In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Tuesday dismissed those statements as "groundless" and "irresponsible".
She said China hopes the Japanese side will not try to find excuses to expand its military capacity. Instead, it should bear in mind regional peace and stability, and the general interests of China-Japan relations, she said.
It should do more to enhance mutual trust, contribute to the security of both sides and uphold regional peace and stability, rather than doing the opposite, the spokesperson stated.
Analysts say the white paper exaggerates the threats coming from Japan's neighbors, and looks to pave the way for the government's revision of the country's restrictive military guidelines, known as the National Defense Program.
Cheng Xiaohe, an associate professor at Renmin University's School of International Studies, explains to CGTN how this white paper might affect relations between China and Japan, saying it’s kind of cliche in Japan's defense white paper, by characterizing China's legitimate military activities as some kind of threat.
“This year's white paper is no exception. For Japan, I think it needs to pay enough attention to China's legitimate need to develop its military capabilities to match its second-largest economic data”, Professor Cheng Xiaohe added.
He also said that such kind of white paper is quite counter-productive for the two countries to build a strong, sustainable, healthy and mutual trust relationship.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Japan in May, and the downward trend in relations between the two countries seemingly has reversed.
Speaking at an event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a peace and friendship treaty between China and Japan, Premier Li called for new progress and lasting stable development of bilateral ties.
The two sides also agreed to set up a security hotline to defuse possible maritime incidents. At the end of this year, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may pay a visit to China, Cheng Xiaohe said, the bilateral relations are moving on the good directions.
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