No Dong Jun, but plenty of China at Shangri-La Dialogue

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun's absence from the Shangri-La Dialogue for the second consecutive year did not diminish China's prominence at the regional security forum. The country remained a central focus, with discussions touching upon maritime disputes and sharp exchanges over what Beijing termed "new militarism" by Tokyo.

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Japan’s past as a peace-loving nation has been valued by the region and by the international community.

During a panel on Sunday, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi directly addressed China's "new militarism" accusations. He asserted that Tokyo consistently upholds international law and works to maintain a "free and open international order." Koizumi emphasized Japan's historical commitment to peace, stating, "Japan's past as a peace-loving nation has been valued by the region and by the international community." He criticized China's "continuing to increase its defence spending" and its "rapidly expanding military capabilities across a wide range of areas without sufficient transparency," labeling these as "serious concerns" for Japan and the global community.

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This fact will not be shaken by false claims, because it is a fact.

Koizumi questioned the logic of labeling Japan, which possesses neither nuclear weapons nor strategic bombers, as "new militarism," especially when contrasted with a nation possessing a "huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers." Recalling a "frank and fruitful discussion" with Dong Jun the previous year, Koizumi reiterated Japan's belief in the necessity of "persistent, candid dialogue and communication" to address difficult issues. He assured that the Japanese defense ministry would continue to engage firmly with the Chinese side at every opportunity.

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China is rapidly expanding its military capabilities across a wide range of areas without sufficient transparency.

Earlier, Major General Meng Xiangqing, leading the Chinese delegation, had criticized Japan's potential revision of its pacifist constitution and non-nuclear principles, as well as its consideration of hosting allied nuclear weapons. Meng accused "some forces" of glorifying war crimes, promoting distorted historical narratives, and challenging the verdicts of the Tokyo Trial. He further alleged that "some have even taken concrete steps to break through the constraints of the post-war peace framework," questioning the moral standing of a nation that has "never fully eradicated the remnants of militarism."

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There is a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither such weapons, and yet Japan is labelled new militarism. Isn't it strange?