China is concerned about the significant increase in Japan's defence budget, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, urging the Japanese side to speak and act prudently in the military and security fields.
Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to reports that the Japanese government on Dec. 23 agreed on a record defense budget of 6.8 trillion yen (about 51 billion U.S. dollars) for fiscal year 2023.
Wang said Japan is playing up regional tensions to seek military breakthroughs, which is dangerous and has aroused strong doubts among its Asian neighbours and in the international community about whether Japan can adhere to an exclusively defense-oriented policy and path of peaceful development.
