Japan has warned that China’s growing military activity could pose a serious threat to its national security, citing a Chinese military aircraft’s incursion into Japanese airspace for the first time on record.
The warning was published on Tuesday, July 15, in the government’s annual defence white paper, which was approved by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s cabinet. The report accuses Beijing of creating a situation “that could seriously impact Japan’s security.”
According to the paper, a Chinese military aircraft entered Japanese airspace in August 2024. The following month, a Chinese aircraft carrier and two accompanying naval vessels sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan—an area of heightened strategic concern.
The report repeats last year’s characterisation of China’s military ambitions as “an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge” facing Japan and the international community.
The document also highlights China’s joint military exercises with Russia, saying they were “clearly intended as a demonstration of force against Japan.”
In response, China’s foreign ministry strongly rejected the accusations. Spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing had lodged “solemn representations” with Tokyo, expressing “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition.”
The publication comes amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, where Japan, the United States and other regional powers have expressed concern over China’s assertive behaviour near Taiwan and in the East and South China Seas.
