Japan's Latest Live-Fire Drill Signals Offensive Shift, Warns China's PLA Daily

China's military mouthpiece, PLA Daily, issued a stark warning on Monday, asserting that Japan's latest annual live-fire drill demonstrates a rapid shift towards offensive military capabilities as part of its broader expansion.

The article explicitly states that Japan's military forces are evolving to become "more offensive, more dangerous and more oriented towards actual combat." It further warns that "Japan will race forward on the road of 're-militarisation,'" suggesting a concerning trajectory for the region.

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Japan’s military forces will become more offensive, more dangerous and more oriented towards actual combat. Japan will race forward on the road of ‘re-militarisation,’

This strong condemnation from Beijing arrives at a time of elevated tensions between China and Japan. Relations have been strained for months, particularly after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments in November suggesting that Japan could act militarily if a conflict were to erupt in the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing vehemently criticized Takaichi's remarks, labeling them as "seriously damaging bilateral ties and challenging [the] post-war international order." China views Taiwan as an integral part of its territory, to be reunified by force if necessary. While most nations, including Japan and the United States, do not formally recognize Taiwan as an independent state, Washington remains opposed to any forceful takeover and is committed to supplying Taiwan with defensive weaponry.

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seriously damaging bilateral ties and challenging [the] post-war international order