Arti Bali
Singapore/New Delhi, May 31 (UNI) Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi took the stage at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday and delivered one of Tokyo's most pointed responses yet to Beijing, rejecting accusations of "new militarism" and turning the lens squarely on China's own military expansion, which he called a matter of "serious concern" for the entire region.
Speaking at the forum's 5th Plenary Session on "Managing Regional Tensions Amid Global Competition," Koizumi framed Japan's defence modernisation not as a deviation from its post-war pacifism but as a responsible, transparent update required by an increasingly dangerous environment- one shaped, in large part, by China's growing arsenal.
"There is a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither of these weapons. And yet Japan is labelled 'new militarism.' Isn't it strange?" Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said.
The remark drew immediate attention in the room. It was a deliberate inversion of Beijing's framing, one that has grown louder in recent months as Japan has expanded its defence budget for a 12th consecutive year, with its latest allocation exceeding 9 trillion yen (approximately $57 billion), pushing toward a target of 2 per cent of GDP.
China's defence ministry had earlier accused Japan of "remilitarisation," with an official spokesperson warning that a "grey rhino of a remilitarised Japan" was accelerating and calling on neighbouring countries to "contain Japan's neo-militarism."
During the question-and-answer session, a Chinese military representative pressed Koizumi on Japan's wartime responsibility and historical apologies, an exchange that underscored the depth of mistrust shaping bilateral relations.
Koizumi's critique of China centred on a single word that appeared repeatedly throughout his speech: transparency. He argued that opaque military buildups are themselves destabilising not merely because of what they suggest about intent, but because ambiguity breeds miscalculation.
"China continues to increase its defence spending at a high level and is rapidly expanding its military capabilities across a wide range of areas without sufficient transparency. This is a matter of serious concern," Shinjiro Koizumi said.
By contrast, Koizumi pledged that Japan's own defence evolution would be conducted with full public accountability. He announced that a revision of Japan's three strategic documents is expected later this year, alongside continued investment in AI, unmanned systems, cyber capability, and space — framing each as a natural response to new forms of warfare rather than a break with Japan's pacifist tradition.
"It is only natural that every country, including Japan, updates its defences to meet new challenges and contribute to peace. Japan will carry out this update with a high degree of transparency, making a clear explanation to the international community of what we are developing these capabilities for, and based on what thinking," he said.
Koizumi framed much of his address around three principles-trust, transparency, and talks-which he described as the indispensable foundations of any regional security architecture.
He was emphatic that dialogue must continue even where differences are sharpest, and notably expressed regret that a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart had not taken place on the sidelines of this year's forum.
"All nations have different positions. All nations have different views. But that is precisely why we need to have talks. We engage in talks because we have differences. We continue to talk because there exist tensions between us," Koizumi added.
"International law is upheld. Sovereignty is respected. Unilateral change to the status quo by force or coercion cannot be tolerated. Without sharing this conviction, regional order does not make sense. Transparency. Opaque military buildups and action without clear intentions will be the cause of distrust and miscalculation. Transparency is the baseline for reducing tensions and preventing crises," he said.
Stressing that dialogue is the only option available to resolve differences, he said, "What is needed at such times is not the repetition of unfounded claims in the other side's absence. What is needed is direct and candid dialogue. Japan's door is always open."
Beyond the rhetorical battle with Beijing, Koizumi outlined a concrete and expansive vision for Japan as a defence partner to its regional neighbours. In April, Tokyo fundamentally revised its domestic framework on defence equipment transfers, a significant policy shift for a country whose post-war constitution has long constrained arms exports.
Cooperation on frigates with Australia, provision of radar systems and patrol vessels to the Philippines, joint destroyer and frigate development, and a new cooperation framework with Indonesia were all cited. New Zealand, Koizumi noted, has expressed interest in Japanese naval vessels.
"These efforts are not exclusive and not directed at any particular country. These are efforts to support each country to choose for itself, to defend itself, and to contribute to regional stability. Japan is hoping to be a reliable partner for that purpose."
The minister closed with a passage that distilled his argument to its most fundamental level — framing the contest in the Indo-Pacific not as a clash of powers but as a struggle over the basic right of nations to make their own choices without coercion.
"Division weakens deterrence. Unity strengthens deterrence. If gaps emerge among the United States, Europe, and allies and like-minded countries, forces that take it as an opportunity will surely come in. We must prevent such a situation," Koizumi said.
"A Free and Open Indo-Pacific is not something to be given by someone. It is something we must build and protect ourselves and something we must pass on to the next generation," Koizumi added.
The sharp exchange between Tokyo and Beijing at this year's Shangri-La Dialogue is unlikely to resolve the underlying tensions between Asia's two largest economies, whose relationship remains shaped by deep historical grievances and an intensifying strategic rivalry. But Koizumi's performance signalled clearly that Japan under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is prepared to make its case loudly, and on the record, in the region's most prominent security forum.
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