Japan's Koizumi Rejects 'New Militarism' Accusation
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- Shinjiro Koizumi rejected accusations of 'new militarism' against Japan at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, countering that China possesses nuclear weapons and strategic bombers while Japan has neither.
- Koizumi criticized China for continuing to increase defence spending 'at a high level' with limited transparency, calling its external military activities 'a matter of serious concern for Japan and the international community.'
- China's Major General Meng Xiangqing hit back at the same forum, doubting whether Japan 'that has not thoroughly eradicated the toxic legacy of militarism is qualified to talk extensively about defence cooperation,' according to the source.
- Japan-China ties sank to their worst level in years after PM Sanae Takaichi warned in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a Japanese military response, the source notes.
- China's Defence Minister Dong Jun skipped the Singapore security meeting for the second consecutive year; Koizumi said he was 'sad' they could not meet but insisted Japan 'keeps the door open' for dialogue.
- Tokyo in April unveiled its biggest overhaul of defence export rules in decades, scrapping restrictions on overseas arms sales and opening the way for exports of warships and missiles, the source reports.
- Japan and the Philippines confirmed the transfer of Abukuma-class destroyers and TC-90 aircraft during Japan's fiscal year 2027, while China's PLA Southern Theater Command ran 'combat readiness patrols' around Scarborough Shoal in real time during the meeting.
Why it matters: Japan's defense posture is shifting tangibly: Tokyo scrapped decades-old arms export restrictions in April, confirmed warship transfers to the Philippines for fiscal 2027, and Koizumi publicly framed China as the militarist actor. The diplomatic cost is concrete — China's defence minister boycotted the forum a second year running, and PLA combat patrols at Scarborough Shoal ran live as Japan and Manila announced deeper defence cooperation.
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