Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

China is gravely concerned by the move, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Tuesday in response to Japan's revision of Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and their implementation guidelines, allowing overseas sales of lethal weapons in principle. 

Guo stated that back that time, Japanese militarism launched rampant aggression and expansion, committing heinous crimes against China and other neighboring Asian countries. Precisely in light of Japan's history of aggression, and to prevent the resurgence of Japanese militarism, a series of instruments with full legal effect under international law—including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender—clearly stipulated that Japan should be completely disarmed and not to maintain such industries that would enable the country to re-arm for war. Japan's constitution also imposes strict restrictions on its the right of belligerency, and the right to wage war. 

After World War II, Japan also established strict norms such as the exclusively defense-oriented policy to limit its military development and arms exports. The Japanese government had issued a unified view on arms exports, explicitly stating that Japan, as a pacifist nation, would handle arms exports with prudence, according to Guo.

A series of recent dangerous moves by Japan in the military and security field have exposed its false claim of pacifist nation and its so-called "exclusively defense-oriented" principle, said Guo. Many experts and scholars are concerned that Japan may restart its war machine and pursue external aggression. It is an established fact that Japan is accelerating its re-militarization, with clear plans and concrete actions in place. The international community, including China, will maintain high vigilance against this and firmly resist reckless moves by Japan's neo-militarism, said the spokesperson.

Global Times