Japanese defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Sunday rejected Chinese allegations of “new militarism” and instead accused the neighbour of rapidly expanding its military “without sufficient transparency”.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Mr Koizumi defended Japan’s military build-up under prime minister Sanae Takaichi and said China’s military activities and external posture were “matters of serious concern for Japan and the international community”.
