In response to the Japanese government’s approval of the 2016 “Defense White Paper” at its cabinet meeting on August 2, China’s State-run media People’s Daily published a report saying that [the paper] is repeating the same old nonsense. It is continuing to stir up the “China threat theory” and maritime safety controversies and it exaggerates, saying that Japan’s security environment is deteriorating. The purpose is to find excuses for its new security law issued in March of this year and it strengthening of the military.
The report said that the White Paper especially focuses on its “Description” of China-related issues. It is full of malicious [comments] about China, it is provocative of China’s relations with its neighbors and it deceives the international community. In addition, the White Paper continues to advocate the strengthening of Japan’s military presence in the southwestern region of its nation.
The report quoted Military expert Yin Zhuo, who spoke in a CCTV interview about the purpose of the Paper. Yin said that the purpose of the Japanese government’s new version of the Abe “Defense White Paper” is to achieve its political philosophy and to pave the way for revising the Pacifist Constitution. That is the reason that the [Abe government] deliberately promotes the “China threat theory,” claims that Japan is being threatened, needs to strengthen its defense forces, and should have a closer U.S. military alliance, trying to prove its [revision of the] Pacifist Constitution is justified. In addition, the United States’ Asia-Pacific rebalancing “strategy” relies on Japan. Japan took the opportunity to make trouble for China from every perspective, including in the South China Sea and the Diaoyu Islands issue. In the future, it may also extend to the Taiwan issue. Japan will actively cooperate with the United States on the “Asia-Pacific rebalancing” strategy.
Source: People’s Daily, August 4, 2016
http://military.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0804/c1011-28611016.html