Japan’s defence minister, Takeshi Iwaya, has launched a blistering attack on China’s military expansion, labelling its arsenal ‘huge’ and warning of a growing threat to regional stability. In a press conference this morning, Iwaya rejected accusations that Tokyo is itself sliding towards militarism, insisting that Japan’s defence spending remains purely for self-protection. Sources close to the minister confirm he pointed to Beijing’s double-digit budget increases, its aircraft carrier programme, and aggressive patrols around Taiwan as evidence of a shift in the balance of power.
Iwaya’s rebuke comes as Japan prepares to release its annual defence white paper, expected to highlight China’s ‘unprecedented’ military activities. The minister stopped short of calling China a direct threat, but his language was unmistakable. ‘A huge arsenal is being built without transparency,’ he said.
‘That is a fact. We must be realistic about the dangers.’ The response from Beijing was swift.
A foreign ministry spokesperson accused Japan of ‘hyping up the China threat’ and called Iwaya’s remarks ‘irresponsible’. The row underscores the deep mistrust between the two Asian giants, both locked in a modern arms race. For Tokyo, the calculus is clear: with a shrinking population and a US ally that may be distracted, self-reliance is no longer a choice but a necessity.
Iwaya denied that Japan is returning to its pre-war militaristic past, arguing that the country’s pacifist constitution and democratic checks are safeguards. But critics point to the doubling of the defence budget over the past decade and the acquisition of long-range cruise missiles as steps towards offensive capability. The minister pushed back, saying such hardware is for deterrence only.
Analysts contacted for this report say the real story is not the verbal sparring but the cold, hard numbers. Japan’s defence spending will reach 8.9 trillion yen this year, a record high.
China’s official figure is 2.1 trillion yuan, but independent estimates put it much higher. The asymmetry in transparency is a ticking bomb.
For now, the escalating rhetoric serves both domestic audiences. Iwaya needs to rally support for his budget. Beijing needs to project strength ahead of its party congress.
But the dangerous game of one-upmanship risks miscalculation. As one former Japanese diplomat told me: ‘The words are bellicose, but the real war is for economic influence and technological dominance. That is where the bodies are buried.
’ The ministry of defence declined to comment further.
