China warns Japan over military drills near Taiwan, calls it a security threat
China's defence ministry says Japan is becoming a regional security threat by hosting joint military drills near Taiwan and accelerating remilitarisation, warning against any attempts to use Taiwan to contain China.
China's defence ministry has warned that Japan is becoming a real threat to regional security by hosting joint military exercises with the United States near Taiwan and accelerating its remilitarisation. Defence spokesman Zhang Xiaogang made the remarks at a regular press briefing in Beijing on 29 October, responding to a question about recent large-scale US-Japan drills focused on island seizing.
Zhang said the United States had for the first time deployed a Marine Corps expeditionary ship interception system on Yonaguni Island, the closest Japanese territory to Taiwan. He stressed that the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and that Beijing will never allow external forces to interfere in the Taiwan region.
'Anyone who underestimates China's firm resolve, steadfast will and strong capability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity should not be mistaken,' Zhang said. He warned that any attempt to use Taiwan to contain China or engage in reckless military provocation would come at an unbearable cost.
The spokesman said the Asia-Pacific region is a high ground for peaceful development, and those who follow the trend of peace will go far, while those who insist on provoking bloc confrontation will not win popular support. He accused Japan of 'catering to and leaning on' some countries by conducting joint exercises, developing and deploying medium- and long-range missiles, and continuously strengthening its military deployment in the southwestern islands.
'Japan is accelerating its remilitarisation and is becoming a real security threat to the region,' Zhang said.