Why China accuses Japan of adopting a “new militarism”

Increase in the defense budget, authorization of exports of lethal weapons or even the creation of a government council dedicated to intelligence… Faced with the rise in power of Beijing and a possible American withdrawal from the Indo-Pacific, the latter Over the years, Japan has implemented a series of measures intended to strengthen its security. Initiatives that Beijing, at loggerheads with its Japanese neighbor on the Taiwanese issue, observes with annoyance.

The Chinese authorities have come to criticize Tokyo for abandoning its traditional pacifist line for a “new Japanese militarism†. The one “will drag Japan into the abyss again†, warned in January Renmin Ribao (“People’s Daily†), mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, seeing in the Takaichi government the specter of Japanese military power in the 1930s and 1940s. Thus, during the summit in May with American President Donald Trump, Xi Jinping reportedly expressed his concerns about the “remilitarisation†of Japan, then reported Financial Times.

Certainly, the Japanese Prime Minister has always been criticized for her vision of the history of the Second World War. Coming from the right wing of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD, conservative) in power, she has already affirmed several times that Japan had launched the Pacific War not to invade other Asian countries but to “to defend†facing Western colonial powers, as the Japanese daily reminds us Asahi Shimbun.

A real threat to China

However, since taking office, she has displayed these ideas less and less. She strives in particular to stabilize relations between Japan and South Korea, the other country very critical of Japanese war denialism. This is also part of the series of initiatives undertaken by Tokyo, which, by allying for example with countries such as Australia and the Philippines, is increasing diplomatic efforts to dissuade China from annexing Taiwan. Faced with this, “Beijing sees Tokyo as a real threat [sur sa défense] and redefines it as such… with the concept of “new Japanese militarism†, deciphers Tomoki Kamo, specialist in Chinese diplomacy interviewed by Mainichi Shimbun.

“For Xi Jinping, the Taiwan issue is of crucial importance, because it affects the principle of the “one-party political system. By getting involved in this issue, Japan is challenging Beijing’s vision of the international order in East Asia. Especially since he is trying to partially replace the American military presence there… writes the daily.

A conflict without outcome

The fact remains that China remains an essential partner in the archipelago’s economy. Traditionally, Beijing and Tokyo tried to approach commercial subjects and historical or diplomatic disputes in a distinct manner. An approach called “senryaku gokei kankei (“mutually beneficial strategic relationships†)†and which today faces a major crisis given the escalation of tensions, points Mainichi Shimbun.

According to the Japanese daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the Japanese government has already worked to calm things down. During the Sino-American summit in May, it asked Donald Trump to encourage China to adopt a less harsh position. For the moment, this initiative has not borne fruit. There exists “few solutions” to find de-escalation tactics, deplores everyday life.