Japan highlights ‘strong concerns’ over China’s military expansion in annual foreign policy report

The 2021 edition of the Diplomatic Bluebook also cited China’s alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang and the crackdown on Hong Kong as issues of concern

The report comes as China steps up activities in the waters around the Diaoyus, which Japan refers to as the Senkakus, issuing a landform survey report on Monday

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A China Coast Guard vessel is seen near the Diaoyu Islands, known as Senkaku Islands in Japan. Tokyo has released a report expressed concerns about Beijing’s military expansion. Photo: EPA

Published: 12:15pm, 27 Apr 2021Updated: 12:15pm, 27 Apr 2021

The Japanese government emphasised concerns over China’s military expansion and growing activities in the East China Sea and South China Sea in an annual foreign policy report released on Tuesday.

The 2021 edition of the Diplomatic Bluebook said China’s expansion of military capabilities that lack transparency, as well as growing unilateral actions to change the status quo in Asian waters, pose “strong concerns” in the region and to the international community.

Last year’s report described such Chinese military activities as “common concerns”, while highlighting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Japan for the Group of 20 summit in Osaka and a thaw in Japan-China relations.

The report, which continues to refer to ties with China as “one of the most important bilateral relations”, comes at a time when China is stepping up activities in the territorial waters around what it calls the Diaoyu Islands, but Japan refers to as the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

On Monday, Tokyo lodged a protest against Beijing after the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources issued a landform survey report on the disputed islands. The ministry said the survey, using satellite remote sensing technology, was aimed at obtaining data to manage resources and protect the ecological environment. But Japan’s Foreign Ministry said this was based on the assumption that China has a claim to the islands.