China Accuses Japan of Remilitarization Following Security Policy Shifts

Diplomatic tensions between China and Japan escalated in late April 2026 as Sanae Takaichi moved to overhaul Japan's security architecture. Prime Minister Takaichi inaugurated a 15-member panel to revise three core defense documents—the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program—to prepare for long-term conflict and new forms of warfare, including drone combat. These shifts include increasing defense spending to 2 percent of GDP and revising the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology to permit the export of finished lethal weapon systems.

The Government of China reacted with a series of sharp rebukes. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian accused the Takaichi administration of pursuing neo-militarism and violating postwar orders such as the Cairo Declaration. Further escalations occurred at a UN Security Council meeting on April 27, where Chinese representative Sun Lei accused Japan of provocations in the Taiwan Strait and urged Tokyo to reflect on its World War II aggression.

By April 30, China's accusations widened to include allegations of nuclear ambitions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a working paper claiming Japan possesses the technical capability and 44.4 tons of plutonium to produce nuclear weapons, urging international vigilance. Simultaneously, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang warned that Japan's creation of a National Intelligence Bureau and the restoration of Imperial-era military ranks threaten regional peace.