China's Military Mouthpiece Warns Japan's Forces Becoming More Offensive
Quick Look
- China's PLA Daily warned that Japan's military expansion, highlighted by its largest annual live-fire drill, signals a shift towards offensive capabilities and 're-militarisation'.
- This comes amid high tensions following Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi's comments on potential military action in the Taiwan Strait.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
China's military mouthpiece warned that Japan's largest annual live-fire drill symbolised the Self-Defence Force's acceleration towards offensive capabilities as part of its military expansion. Tensions are high following comments by Japan's PM about potential military action in the Taiwan Strait.
Tokyo’s forces will become ‘more offensive, more dangerous and more oriented towards actual combat’, Chinese military mouthpiece says
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Albee Zhangin Shanghai
Published: 6:00pm, 22 Jun 2026Updated: 6:09pm, 22 Jun 2026
China’s military mouthpiece on Monday warned that the weapons and operational methods seen in Japan’s largest annual live-fire drill symbolised the Self-Defence Force’s acceleration towards offensive capabilities as part of its military expansion.
“Japan’s military forces will become more offensive, more dangerous and more oriented towards actual combat. Japan will race forward on the road of ‘re-militarisation’,” according to the article in PLA Daily.
The warning came as tensions between Beijing and Tokyo remain high months after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment that her country could act militarily if a conflict were to break out in the Taiwan Strait.
Beijing slammed Takaichi’s comment in November as “seriously damaging bilateral ties and challenging [the] post-war international order”.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary.
Most countries, including Japan and the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-ruled island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons .
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Japan will continue to expand its military's offensive capabilities.
Likely · Medium term
Open Questions
- What specific offensive capabilities is Japan developing?
- How will other regional powers react to Japan's military shift?
