China pledges to halt rise of Japanese neo-militarism: spokesperson

BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- China will stand together with peace-loving countries in the world to firmly hold back the malevolent emergence of Japanese neo-militarism under the pretext of making Japan a "normal country," and prevent it from wreaking havoc on the region and beyond, said a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday.

Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a regular press briefing when answering a query related to Japan's 2026 defense white paper.

The white paper recently issued by Japan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Japan will further seek "enemy base strike capability." The MoD also requested a record 8.89 trillion yen for fiscal year 2027.

On the day that marks the 81st anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Guo said that the designation of the Victory Day of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is to remember the profound suffering that Japanese militarist aggression imposed on the people of China and the rest of the world, to remind the public not to forget history, and to uphold the outcomes of WWII victory and postwar international order.

He noted that over the years, Japanese right-wing forces have tried to turn the verdict on the history of aggression, and break free from the postwar international arrangements and their international obligations.

Guo stressed that a series of international instruments including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and Japan's Instrument of Surrender have affirmed in legal terms Japan's status as a defeated state, and explicitly stipulated the obligations of defeated states, including eradicating militarism, abolishing military industries, dismantling war capability, and not rearming for war.

He added that these postwar international arrangements help uphold historical truth and international justice, set up an institutional line of defense against the resurrection of militarism, and embody the outcomes of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

"Our solemn message to Japanese right-wing forces: the right way forward for Japan is to fulfill its international obligations, fully remove the pernicious influence of militarism, and keep to peaceful development," Guo said. Enditem