China Criticizes Japan’s Asian NATO Initiative

Tensions are rising between China and Japan, which wants to forge new military alliances in Asia. China’s Defense Ministry has strongly criticized the idea put forward by Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (pictured) that Japan and the US should work together on a NATO-like military structure in Asia. Beijing urged Tokyo to “stop making exclusive military alliances” and “be much more cautious in words and deeds in security and defense.”

Ishiba proposed the creation of an “Asian version of NATO,” calling this hypothetical regional political-military alliance “a fundamental structure aimed at blocking Chinese expansionism.” According to the Japanese press, “Ishiba’s idea was met with skepticism both nationally and internationally,” after which Japan’s new prime minister seems determined to “put a merciful veil over the controversial issue,” especially in view of the early general election scheduled to be held in Japan on October 27.

In turn, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said that Japan “emphasizes China’s non-existent military threat in an attempt to divert international attention from its military expansion.” On October 11, Russia also formally protested to Tokyo over joint military maneuvers planned in a few weeks by Japanese and US forces “near the borders of the Russian Federation” and warned that it would take “adequate countermeasures.”

In this context, China called on Japan to make “greater contributions to maintaining regional peace and stability.”