Japan Government Rift Over Labeling China A Threat in Security Documents Revisions

Japanese media reported that rifts within Japan’s government and ruling coalition have emerged over whether to explicitly label China as a "threat" in revisions to the country’s three security-related documents by year-end.

“Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a House of Councillors committee session in Tokyo on May 11, 2026”

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The Global Times said a Chinese expert warned that hyping a "China threat" would meet backlash, citing Xiang Haoyu, a distinguished research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, who said experienced Japanese diplomatic figures know such wording could trigger responses from China.

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Xiang also said Japan has used media leaks to test public opinion and gauge China’s reaction, while the report described China as expressing "serious concern" over Japan’s moves.

The Global Times further reported that at a regular press briefing on April 24, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said, "We must not allow Japanese militarism to be revived."

At a General Assembly meeting on intergovernmental negotiations related to Security Council reform, Sun Lei, chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said Japan is in no way qualified to hold a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Xinhua quoted Sun saying, "A country that shows no remorse for its historical crimes" cannot earn the trust of the international community and fundamentally lacks the qualifications to aspire to be a permanent member of the Security Council.

Global Times

Sun linked Japan’s push to review the three national security documents and insistence on revising the three non-nuclear principles to what he said were "sinister intentions" to promote remilitarization and attempt to revive militarism.

Sun also said China supports a necessary and reasonable reform aimed at improving the authority and efficiency of the Security Council to better respond to crises and challenges, with the only correct direction being to effectively increase the representation and voice of developing countries.

China’s Ministry of National Defense accused Japan on Saturday of taking 'reckless' steps toward neo-militarism and called on the international community to remain 'very vigilant,' according to Xinhua’s account of Zhang Xiaogang’s remarks.

“BEIJING, February 28 (Xinhua) — China's Ministry of National Defense accused Japan on Saturday of taking 'reckless' steps toward neo-militarism and called on the international community to remain 'very vigilant”

Xinhua

Zhang said China’s actions to protect its territorial sovereignty and security interests were "completely legitimate and justified," and he accused right-wing forces in Japan of resuming a similar discourse on so-called external threats to justify military expansion.

In a December 26, 2025 press conference, Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told RT TV that Japan plans to increase its defense budget again and that this reveals more clearly the malicious intentions of Japanese right-wing forces to remilitarize Japan and revive militarism.

Lin Jian also said Japan’s cybersecurity strategy and Active Cyber Defense law mark a shift from cyber defense to cyber offense, warning that China expresses serious concern as Japan loosened restrictions on proactive cyber offensives.