China Refutes Japan’s Defense White Paper, Lodges Solemn Protests

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned Japan’s 2026 Defense White Paper, accusing Tokyo of groundlessly smearing Beijing and interfering in China’s internal affairs, while confirming that solemn representations have been lodged with the Japanese side. The response comes after Japan’s Cabinet formally approved the document, titled “Defense of Japan 2026,” on August 4, which describes China’s military activities as Japan’s “unprecedented and greatest strategic challenge.”

Diplomatic Response

At a regular press conference on August 5, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China is “strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed” to the white paper, which he said “once again groundlessly smears and criticizes China, hypes up the so-called ‘China threat,’ meddles in China’s Taiwan affairs, and crudely interferes in China’s internal affairs.” According to Xinhua News, Lin confirmed that China has formally lodged solemn representations with the Japanese government.

Lin emphasized that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory” and that “how to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people themselves and is not for Japan to comment on.” He also reiterated that the Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islands “have been China’s inherent territory since ancient times.” The full press conference transcript is available from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Defense Ministry Condemnation

A day earlier, on August 4, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Chen Xi also responded to the white paper, calling it “filled with false narratives” and accusing Japan of “a thief crying ‘stop thief’” — finding excuses to loosen restrictions on its own military. As China.org.cn reported, Chen warned that Japan’s “new militarism” has become “a serious challenge to the postwar international order and the real threat to regional peace and stability.”

Chen criticized Japan’s ruling authorities for “accelerating revision of the ‘Three Security Documents,’ continuously increasing defense spending, vigorously developing long-range offensive capabilities, promoting weaponization of space, and even packaging military-industrial expansion as an economic growth point.”

The White Paper’s Key Claims

The 598-page document, the first under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration, retains language describing China as presenting “an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge which Japan should respond to with its comprehensive national power.” According to Nation Thailand, the white paper cites two specific incidents involving Chinese military activity: the first-ever simultaneous deployment of two Chinese aircraft carriers in the Pacific in June 2025, and a December 2025 encounter in which Chinese fighter jets allegedly locked radar on Japan Air Self-Defense Force aircraft for approximately 30 minutes.

The document also addresses North Korea, describing it as posing “an even more grave and imminent threat to Japan’s national security than ever before,” and Russia, which it notes is deploying the latest military equipment in the Far East.

Japan’s Military Buildup

The white paper comes amid a significant expansion of Japan’s defense posture. Japan’s defense budget has surpassed 9 trillion yen for FY2026, marking 14 consecutive years of increases and exceeding 2% of GDP. In April 2026, Japan eased arms export restrictions, allowing lethal weapon exports to 17 countries with which it has defense transfer agreements.

As The Straits Times detailed, the document emphasizes transforming Japan’s defense industry into a core engine of national power, with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stating in the foreword that “defence production and technological bases are a virtually integral part of defence capability itself.” The white paper also features a manga-style cover by illustrator Hitomi Kariya, depicting smiling young people and a bright high-tech cityscape — a departure from traditional military-themed covers that analysts see as an effort at social mobilization.

Regional Reactions

The white paper has drawn sharp criticism beyond China as well. South Korea strongly protested the document’s claim to the Dokdo/Takeshima islands for the 22nd consecutive year, summoning Japanese embassy officials to demand the claims be withdrawn. As China Daily reported, Seoul emphasized that the islands are “clearly Korean territory in history, geography, and under international law.”

North Korea also responded forcefully. Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned of “additional military options” in response to Japan’s military expansion, particularly citing the Tomahawk cruise missile test and Japan’s participation in US-led military drills. According to Yonhap News, Kim declared that “Japan, a war criminal state, is accelerating its transformation into a war state.” Al Jazeera reported that Kim accused the United States of enabling Japan’s military buildup and said North Korea “should make it regret.”

Analysis: Calculated Language

Analysts note that Japan’s choice of the term “strategic challenge” rather than “threat” for China is a calculated linguistic decision. As Chengdu Kuaibao reported, Liu Qingbin, an associate professor at the University of International Business and Economics and Yokohama National University, argues that Japan deliberately avoids formally designating China as an enemy to prevent diplomatic and economic costs, while still enabling military expansion. “Challenge” can be infinitely expanded to encompass military, economic, technological, and social competition, whereas “threat” would require Japan to answer the question of whether China is its enemy.

Historical Context

The current dispute is part of a broader pattern of friction in China-Japan relations. Japan’s Defense White Paper has been published annually since 1976, and since 2023, each edition has described China as the “greatest strategic challenge.” The language traces back to Japan’s 2022 “Three Security Documents,” which first adopted the framing following US terminology.

Lin Jian’s response also invoked historical grievances, noting that “Japanese militarism once brought profound disasters to Asia and the world, committing crimes too numerous to record.” He accused Japan of failing to deeply reflect on history while “continuously accelerating ‘remilitarization,’ breaking through Japan’s constitution and international law constraints, challenging the postwar international order.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson specifically criticized the white paper for “advocating for developing long-range offensive capabilities and ‘new ways of warfare,’ even packaging military-industrial expansion as an economic growth point.” He called on the international community to “remain highly vigilant and resolutely curb this.”

Defense Industry Transformation

The white paper’s emphasis on defense industry development represents a significant shift in Japanese policy. As The Straits Times reported, the 2023 Act on Enhancing Defence Production and Technology Bases raised government contractor profit margins from 8% to 15%, injecting fresh momentum into the industry. Companies submitting so-called Stable Manufacturing Plans for government approval surged from 36 in fiscal 2023 to 164 in the latest fiscal year, with small and medium-sized enterprises accounting for 124 of the approvals.

Heng Yee Kuang, who heads the Security Studies Unit at the University of Tokyo, told the newspaper that “Japan’s growing numbers of nimble SMEs and start-ups, especially in the space and drone sectors, now populate its defence industrial ecosystem long dominated by the so-called ‘primes.’”

What’s Next

The 2026 white paper serves as a prelude to Japan’s critical revision of its three core security documents — the National Security Strategy, National Defence Strategy, and Defence Buildup Programme — expected by the end of 2026. The document also highlights drones and artificial intelligence as central to “new ways of warfare,” with Japan selecting four domestic drone makers for a rapid development program.

As regional tensions continue to escalate, the coming months will be crucial in determining whether Japan’s military transformation and China’s strong objections lead to further deterioration in bilateral relations or open channels for dialogue. China has urged Japan to “deeply reflect on its historical crimes, earnestly draw lessons from history, stop finding excuses for military buildup, and not go further down the wrong path.”