Japan rejects China 'new militarism' claims

Japan>>>'s Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi dismissed China>>>'s accusations of 'new militarism' at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. China>>> has criticized Japan>>>'s increasing defense spending and policy shifts, including the scrapping of a ban on lethal weapons exports by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet, as a dangerous move. Koizumi argued that Japan>>>'s post-World War II record speaks for itself and highlighted China>>>'s own rapid military expansion and lack of transparency. Tensions escalated after Takaichi suggested Japan>>> might intervene if China>>> attacked Taiwan>>>. Japan>>> insists it remains open to dialogue with China>>>, despite the absence of China>>>'s Defense Minister Dong Junfeng from the conference. The United States, through President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has encouraged Japan>>>'s increased defense spending, further complicating regional dynamics.