Taiwan tensions may heighten as Beijing boosts military activities: Japan defence report

Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani named China in the opening paragraphs of the report, declaring Beijing’s military activities to be an “unprecedented” challenge that Japan must counter through national strength and alliances with partner countries.

It was the third consecutive year that the report used the designation.

The white paper highlighted China’s sweeping and rapid modernisation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), particularly in nuclear, missile, naval and air capabilities, over the past three decades.

“China has been swiftly increasing its national defence expenditures, thereby extensively and rapidly enhancing its military capability in a qualitative and quantitative manner, and intensifying its activities in the East China Sea, including around the Senkaku Islands and the Pacific,” Nakatani said, adding that PLA operations now extended beyond the first island chain into the second. The Senkaku Islands are known as the Diaoyus in China.

The report warned specifically of increased Chinese military and coastguard activity, including nearby manoeuvres by warships and aircraft, which Tokyo believed could “seriously impact Japan’s security”.

The report also noted heightened PLA activity around Taiwan, citing frequent military exercises in nearby waters and airspace. It suggested Beijing was trying to create a “fait accompli” by normalising its military presence in the region while building its combat strength.