Japan dismisses claims by Russia, China over its ‘remilitarization’

Japan on Thursday dismissed criticism from China and Russia over its "remilitarization" as "unfounded."

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a joint statement Wednesday that Japan is accelerating remilitarization and threatening regional peace and stability.

Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said at a news conference that Japan wants China to "change its behavior" over issues such as Beijing's military activities, which he said are a "cause for serious concern for the international community," and urged Russia to "stop its invasion of Ukraine," according to Kyodo News Agency.

Putin concluded a two-day visit to China on Wednesday.

Japan's relations with China have deteriorated since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks last November that China's possible use of force against Taiwan, which it considers a breakaway province, could constitute a survival-threatening situation for Japan, in which the country could exercise its right of collective self-defense.

Since then, China has repeatedly expressed its opposition to Japan's rearmament efforts.

Japan, in a significant departure from its postwar security posture, scrapped longstanding restrictions on military equipment transfers last month, opening the door to the export of lethal weapons as it seeks to expand its defense industry and strategic reach.