Japan highlights threat from China as justification for new security legislation
Analysts say emphasis on Beijing's threat in new defence report is to justify security laws
Japan has highlighted China's growing assertiveness as a risk to regional tensions in its annual defence report, which analysts said aims to justify Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push for controversial security legislation.
The Defence White Paper, approved by the Japanese cabinet yesterday, also called on Beijing to stop construction of new oil and gas exploration platforms near disputed waters in the East China Sea claimed by both countries. It said such platforms would aid China's surveillance of Japanese and US naval activities.
China's military and security development has previously featured in the annual report. But this year, the paper said Japan faced an "increasingly severe" security environment in the region and raised concerns over China's activities in the East and South China seas. "China, particularly over maritime issues, continues to act in an assertive manner, including coercive attempts at changing the status quo, and is poised to fulfil its unilateral demands without compromise," the report said.
Other security threats mentioned were North Korea's nuclear ambitions and Islamic extremism.
This year's defence paper was delayed for more than a week because hawkish members of Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party insisted on mentioning China's unilateral maritime activities, including oil and gas exploration in the East China Sea.
The 429-page document said China resumed exploration in the East China Sea two years ago and had started construction of new platforms near disputed areas.