Japan's defence chief rejects China's 'new militarism' label, warns of Beijing's opaque military buildup at Singapore summit

A war of words in Singapore

Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi used his keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday to forcefully reject China's branding of Tokyo as a 'new militarist' power. Koizumi highlighted the disparity in arsenals, pointing out that a certain country possesses a huge stockpile of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers, while Japan has neither. He labelled the accusation strange and unfounded.

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

Koizumi's remarks were a direct response to a months-long campaign by Beijing, which has repeatedly urged Asia-Pacific nations to resist Japan's 'neo-militarism'. The Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin had warned just before the summit that 'the grey rhino of a remilitarised Japan is gathering speed'.

Deepening Sino-Japanese tensions

Relations between Asia's two largest economies have deteriorated sharply since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a Japanese military response. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory. Koizumi stated that China's external approach and military activities are a matter of serious concern for Japan and the international community, criticising Beijing for increasing its defence spending at a high level without sufficient transparency.

China's external approach and military activities are matters of serious concern for Japan and the international community at the same time.

During a question-and-answer session, a Chinese participant asked for Japan's apology for its World War II activity. Koizumi avoided a direct response, instead reiterating that Japan's door to dialogue is always open. Major General Meng Xiangqing, China's delegate, questioned whether a country that had not eradicated the toxic legacy of militarism could win the trust of the international community.

Japan's strategic transformation

Under Prime Minister Takaichi, who took office in October, Japan has accelerated its pivot away from the pacifist principles enshrined after World War II. Koizumi defended this shift, arguing it is only natural for every country to update its defences to meet new challenges. He pledged that Japan would proceed with a high degree of transparency, steadily building up capabilities in areas like artificial intelligence, uncrewed systems, and cyber and space defence.

Japan has set defence spending records for 12 consecutive years. Its latest cabinet-approved budget exceeds 9 trillion yen ($57 billion), moving the country closer to its target of spending 2% of its GDP on the military.

Arms export overhaul and regional alliances

The most significant policy shift came in April when Tokyo unveiled its biggest overhaul of defence export rules in decades. The reform scrapped restrictions on overseas arms sales, opening the way for exports of warships, missiles and other weapons. Koizumi said Japan is determined to play a new role in defence equipment cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and aims to tangibly strengthen deterrence in the region.

Koizumi met with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro on the sidelines of the forum. Japan is set to transfer Abukuma-class destroyers and TC-90 aircraft to the Philippines, bolstering maritime security cooperation between the two US allies.

A missed opportunity for dialogue

Koizumi expressed sadness that he was unable to meet with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun, who skipped the Shangri-La Dialogue for the second consecutive year. The Japanese minister emphasised that differences in perception and friction do arise between nations, but what is needed is direct and candid dialogue, not the repetition of unfounded claims in the other side's absence.

I am feeling sad that we were unable to have the opportunity to have a meeting this time. But again, we keep the door open to talks.

Koizumi's address was carefully calibrated, with a senior Japanese defence official revealing that the tone was adjusted until the last minute to avoid excessively unnerving China while still rebutting its criticisms. The minister also sat in the front row during US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's address and was the first to ask a question, underscoring the strength of the US-Japan alliance.