China’s Foreign Ministry and the semi-official Global Times have warned Japan and its neighbors against Japanese remilitarization. Asked about LDP proposals to raise the military budget from 1.4% to 3-5% of GDP, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun noted that Japan’s defense spending hit a record high in 2025, weapons imports rose 76% over five years, and the budget has grown for 14 consecutive years. “Japan’s ‘country for peace’ mask is coming off and it is slipping towards neo-militarism,” Guo said, urging Asia-Pacific nations to “firmly resist reckless moves of Japanese neo-militarism.”
Guo also condemned the planned U.S. deployment of Typhon mid-range missile systems to Japan’s Kanoya Airbase during exercises running June through September, warning the move would “harm the legitimate security interests of other countries” and fuel an arms race.