Japan defence minister denies militarism and criticises China's 'huge arsenal'
Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi delivered some of Tokyo's most pointed responses yet to the regional debate over its military build-up at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, denying militarism while sharply criticising China's 'huge arsenal'. The statement hardens Tokyo's tone in Indo-Pacific security diplomacy.
BBC AsiaAccording to BBC Asia, Shinjiro Koizumi used the closing day of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to cite the pace of China's military spending and pressure on freedom of navigation in the East China Sea, stressing that Tokyo's plan to lift defence spending to 2% of GDP is not a militarist step. Koizumi also cited concrete figures on Beijing's forward and reserve forces.
Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian called the remarks 'detached from reality' and urged Tokyo to face its past following Yasukuni Shrine visits, while Philippine Armed Forces chief Gen Romeo Brawner and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles backed Koizumi's assessment. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth repeated his call for allies to lift defence spending.
International Institute for Strategic Studies director John Chipman warned that the verbal contest between Beijing and Tokyo could slow flight-safety coordination work over Taiwan and the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. Türkiye's observer position within NATO's Indo-Pacific consultations continues. This piece is not political advice.
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