# Prem Sagar Poudel----------------
As Japan prepares to revise its three security-related documents within this year, serious differences have emerged within Japan itself over whether to explicitly define China as a "threat." This dispute is not merely a matter of word choice. It lays bare Japan's changing military ambitions, the rise of its right-wing forces, and the grave impact this could have on peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to a Jiji Press report on Sunday, there is a rift between the Japanese government and the ruling coalition over whether to explicitly label China as a "threat." Under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration, hardliners are advocating for tougher language, while some lawmakers and former diplomats are stressing the need to use restrained wording, taking into account relations with China. The Japan Times reported that a former Japanese foreign minister expressed the view that writing the word "threat" would only provoke China's dissatisfaction and should therefore be handled with caution.
This dispute is nothing new. During the previous revision towards the end of 2022, Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had recommended that China's military activities be defined as a "grave security threat." However, when its then coalition partner Komeito opposed the proposal, arguing it would intensify confrontation, the final wording in the document was limited to describing China as "an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge." Now, that same old dispute has resurfaced.
Xiang Haoyu, a distinguished research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times, "Experienced Japanese diplomats are aware that such wording could provoke a response from China. Nevertheless, Japan has been leaking information through the media to test public opinion and gauge China's reaction."
The Takaichi administration has recently taken steps such as loosening restrictions on the export of lethal weapons and revising the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and their implementation guidelines. According to Jiji Press, these steps signal that Japan is rapidly advancing down the path of "remilitarisation." These developments become all the more serious in the context of May 3, 2026, marking 80 years since the commencement of the Tokyo Trials.
At a regular press briefing on April 24, in response to a question about growing signs of neo-militarism in Japan, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that countries in the region, especially China, must stay on high alert and jointly defend the outcomes of the victory of World War II. "We must not allow Japanese militarism to be revived. We must not allow the tragedies of history to be repeated. We must not allow anyone or any force to undermine peace and sow disaster in our region," Guo said.
Earlier, on January 6, when asked about Japan's push to revise its "three security documents" within the year, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said it reflects the dangerous trend of Japan "remilitarising" itself faster, which is bound to undermine regional peace and stability. She made clear that China and all peace-loving countries and people in the world should never allow Japanese right-wing forces to turn back the wheel of history or allow the revival of militarism.
The root of this dispute lies in the history of World War II. Japan began its military expansion in Asia with the invasion of Manchuria in 1931. Over the following decade and a half, Japanese militarism claimed the lives of millions in China, Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific region. After Japan's surrender in 1945, the Tokyo Trials, which commenced in 1946, found the Japanese militarist leadership guilty of war crimes. However, over recent decades, right-wing forces in Japan have continuously sought to undermine that historic verdict and deny Japan's war crimes. The honouring of war criminals at the Yasukuni Shrine is but one example of this.
When viewed in an international context, Japan's double standard is clearly evident. On the one hand, Japan presents itself as a "peace-loving nation," while on the other, it is expanding military alliances under the banner of the so-called "free and open Indo-Pacific." The remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi during her visits to Australia and Vietnam, and her comments on the Taiwan question, have further chilled China-Japan relations.
China has always pursued the path of peaceful development. The modernisation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army is not intended to threaten or attack any country, but rather to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests. Whether it is escort missions in the Gulf of Aden, international humanitarian relief operations, or the "Mission Harmony" conducted by the Chinese Navy's hospital ship, China has always contributed to world peace and stability. China always upholds the vision of a community with a shared future and respects the legitimate security concerns of all countries.
After World War II, Germany sincerely repented for its war crimes and established robust legal and social mechanisms to prevent the resurgence of Nazism. Japan, however, is travelling in the opposite direction. This ought to be a matter of concern for the international community.
Japan's internal dispute reveals a fundamental truth: the question of whether or not to call China a "threat" is, in reality, a crisis of Japan's own identity. Does Japan truly wish to remain a peace-loving nation, or is it seeking to revive its militarist past? Japan must find the answer to this question itself.
But one thing is clear: the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, especially China, must remain vigilant against the dangerous trend of Japan's remilitarisation. History has already shown that the revival of Japanese militarism can have a devastating impact on regional peace and stability. Millions in China, Korea, and Southeast Asia have already fallen victim to Japanese militarism. The memory of their suffering remains fresh.
China has always adhered to a policy of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect. But peace does not mean weakness. Should Japanese right-wing forces attempt to turn back the wheel of history and revive militarism, China and other countries in the region will resolutely counter it. "We must not allow Japanese militarism to be revived. We must not allow the tragedies of history to be repeated." This is not merely a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry; it is the common voice of all peace-loving people in Asia.
