Key facts
- China's foreign ministry has complained to Japan about its new defence white paper.
- Beijing accused Tokyo of exaggerating a Chinese threat and making unwarranted comments about Taiwan.
- Japan's white paper noted China's military activities around Taiwan are intensifying.
- China asserted that the Taiwan issue is an internal affair and brooks no Japanese interference.
- China urged Japan to stop seeking excuses for military expansion.
China's foreign ministry stated on Wednesday that it had lodged a complaint with Japan regarding Tokyo's recently released defence white paper. Beijing accused Japan of exaggerating a Chinese threat and making unwarranted comments about Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
The annual Japanese report, published on Tuesday, asserts that China has intensified its military activities around Taiwan, noting that the "overall military balance between China and Taiwan is rapidly tilting in China's favour." In response, China's foreign ministry stated that Tokyo has no right to comment on the Taiwan issue, describing it as purely an internal Chinese affair. The ministry added that China's military activities are legitimate and reasonable.