Japan's new defense white paper only about ambition, lies

Japan's Ministry of Defense recently released its 2026 defense white paper. As the first such white paper issued under the Sanae Takaichi administration, the 598-page document repeatedly hypes up so-called security threats in Japan's neighborhood.

What comes through between the lines is no longer the postwar principle of "exclusively defense-oriented policy" that Japan has long claimed to uphold, but an ambition deeply tainted by the lingering legacy of militarism.

Using exaggerated external threats to pave the way for military expansion has long been a tactic employed by Japan as it adjusts its security policies. The new white paper claims that the regional security environment is in the most severe and complex situation in the postwar period and invokes a so-called "new era of crisis."

In essence, it seeks to mislead public opinion by stoking a sense of insecurity and to manipulate public sentiment in order to provide a seemingly legitimate pretext for expanding Japan's military capabilities. The document is riddled with false narratives and is, in substance, a dangerous attempt by Japan's right-wing forces to mobilize society for full-scale remilitarization.

In reality, Japan, which constantly talks up so-called threats, is itself a major driver of rising security risks in the region. For some time, Japan has repeatedly made erroneous remarks concerning Taiwan, frequently played up regional security issues, accelerated the militarization of its southwestern islands under the pretext of "responding to crises," and continued to expand its military buildup and war preparations. It has thus become a major source of instability undermining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.

The new white paper once again groundlessly smears and accuses China, hypes up the so-called "China threat," makes irresponsible comments on Taiwan question, and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs.

China is committed to peaceful development and pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. How to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people themselves and brooks no interference from Japan. The Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islands have always been an inherent part of China's territory. No matter what Japan says or does, it cannot change this fact.

The most dangerous aspect of the new white paper is its attempt to cross the red line of "exclusively defense-oriented policy" and transform Japan's Self-Defense Forces into an offensive military force.

For the first time, the white paper has devoted a separate chapter to "emerging modes of warfare," advocating the application of unmanned aerial systems and artificial intelligence technologies in defense operations while emphasizing sustained combat capabilities. It openly extends Japan's military capability building into new domains including space, cyberspace, and the electromagnetic spectrum, in an apparent bid to build a cross-domain integrated combat system.

In March this year, Japan deployed Type 25 land-based anti-ship missiles boasting a range of roughly 1,000 kilometers, well beyond Japan's territorial boundaries. It has also enacted legislation to restructure the Air Self-Defense Force into the "Air and Space Self-Defense Force", bringing space within the realm of military operations. In addition to these moves, Tokyo is speeding up the fielding of long-range offensive missiles, in a substantive bid to acquire enemy base strike capabilities.

Step by step, Japan is dismantling the safeguards of its "exclusively defense-oriented policy" and transforming the Self-Defense Forces from a defensive force into an offensive military force capable of launching preemptive strikes and projecting forward deterrence.

The new white paper greatly expands its discussion of "strengthening the defense production and technological capabilities." Under the pretexts of "driving economic growth" and promoting "dual-use technologies," it portrays the defense industry as a new engine of economic growth, seeking to justify the relaxation of arms export controls, expanded international joint research and development, and the blurring of the boundary between military and civilian technologies.

In April this year, Japan formally revised its Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, significantly easing restrictions on exports of lethal weapons. From joint development of sixth-generation fighter aircraft to policies providing substantial subsidies to defense companies, Japan is shifting its defense industry from one primarily oriented toward meeting domestic needs to one geared toward overseas expansion. By increasingly tying the interests of the defense industry to military expansion, Japan is creating a dangerous cycle in which the two reinforce each other.

Respect for the pacifist constitution and pursuit of peaceful development were once important foundations of Japan's postwar development and played a positive role in maintaining peace and stability in East Asia. Yet Japan's right-wing forces have repeatedly crossed the red line of the "exclusively defense-oriented policy," hollowed out the substance of the pacifist constitution, and accelerated efforts of military expansion and sought the status of a major military power.

The new white paper represents the latest step in this expansionist trajectory. It seeks to pave the way for Japan to break free from the constraints of the postwar order on multiple fronts, including public perceptions, military capabilities, and industrial support.

Such moves seriously undermine the postwar international order, poison the regional security environment and steadily erode strategic trust among countries in the region. They have not only sparked grave concern among Asian neighbors and the international community, but also met with strong opposition from peace-loving forces within Japan.

A poll conducted by Japan's Asahi Shimbun showed that more than 60 percent of Japanese respondents oppose revising Article 9 of the pacifist constitution. Around the time the new white paper was released, large numbers of Japanese people gathered around the National Diet to protest the military buildup, arguing that increased military spending would place an additional burden on people's livelihoods and put the country at greater risk of being dragged into conflict.

Peaceful development is an irreversible trend of history. Any attempt to pursue military expansion by abandoning commitments to peace and going against the tide of the times is bound to fail.

Japan should face up to history, follow the trend of the times, strictly uphold the postwar international order, stop hyping up security threats and pursuing military expansion and war preparations, and return in earnest to the right path of peaceful development. That is the fundamental path for Japan to secure its future.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)