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Xinhua: In Defense White Paper, Japan’s Ulterior Motive Is to Stir Up the “China Threat”

Xinhua published an article on its headline news denouncing the Japanese government’s approved Defense White Paper (2015 edition). The article stated that the purpose of the white paper is to stir up the "China threat" and create a tense atmosphere so as to strengthen Japan’s security policies, develop its defense system, and find an excuse for a closer Japan-U.S. military alliance. 


The article said that "the volume of the white paper this year was the smallest in the last 10 years, but the China-related contents have increased rather than decreased. Attacking China has intensified as well." 

"Unlike previous years, this year’s white paper placed the China ‘threat’ in a prominent position. Furthermore, for the first time this year, the white paper set up a separate section called ‘Maritime Trends,’ making a big fuss about maritime security issues and making the accusation that ‘China’s unilateral action is undermining the principle of freedom of navigation.’"

"The white paper also instigated, for the first time, the issue of the South China Sea islands and reefs. In addition, it published a set of high-definition pictures to show that China is building islands from the reefs, creating an excuse for Japan to intervene on the South China Sea issue." 

"In the white paper, the Japanese government constantly repeated that ‘the security environment is getting more severe by the day and China has become the biggest threat,’ paving the way for the ‘expansion of the role of the Self Defense Force.’" 

Gao Hong, deputy director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that the Japanese right-wing forces recently refused to recognize their history, provoking the redline of Asian security and stability. It does this by spreading [the rumor] that the external security environment is deteriorating and China is its "enemy." The purpose is to confuse the public and hide its ever-expanding military ambitions. 

Source: Xinhua, July 22, 2015 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-07/22/c_1116010371.htm