Japan's new defence document set to name China as the biggest concern

Japan's Ministry of Defence is preparing a year-end defence white paper that will, for the first time, formally describe China as the "biggest strategic concern" for Japan's security. According to Nikkei, the draft expands sections that previously stopped at the wording "source of concern". It includes new dedicated chapters on military activity in the Taiwan Strait and on coast-guard pressure around the Senkaku Islands.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to use a press conference mid-week to release figures showing that Chinese People's Liberation Army air and naval operations in the region have doubled over the past two years. The white paper also brings forward the timetable for raising Japan's defence spending to 2% of GDP. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the draft reflected "a Cold War mentality".

The US Department of Defense said it was preparing a joint statement supporting the white paper. South Korea's Ministry of National Defense said the document would feature on the agenda of next month's Tokyo-Seoul-Washington economic-security summit. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said coordination would also be deepened within the Quad framework.