Japan Defense White Paper Raises Alarm Over China’s Military Activity in Pacific

The Japanese government plans to signal heightened concern over China’s increasing military activity around Japan — particularly in the Pacific — and stress the need for close coordination with the United States and like-minded nations in responding to Beijing, according to a draft of the country’s annual defense report cited by Kyodo News.

A Japanese Self-Defense Forces aircraft patrols near Okinawa amid heightened regional security concerns. (Photo: 航空自衛隊, Wikimedia Commons)

The draft cited the unprecedented simultaneous deployment of two Chinese aircraft carriers in the Pacific in June last year, as well as what it described as an “unusually close approach” by a Chinese fighter jet to a Japanese Self-Defense Forces aircraft.

Challenges posed by China should be addressed “through comprehensive national power and cooperation with allies and like-minded countries,” the draft said.

Japan’s Defense Ministry is expected to present the 2026 defense white paper to the Cabinet, possibly in July, according to a separate report by Mainichi Japan.

The draft also referenced an incident last December in which Chinese military aircraft allegedly directed radar at Self-Defense Forces fighter jets over international waters southeast of Okinawa’s main island.

It further criticized China for continuing to increase defense spending “at a high level without sufficient transparency.”

Regarding Taiwan — which China considers part of its territory — the report said Beijing has repeatedly conducted military exercises in the airspace and waters surrounding the self-ruled island, apparently to normalize such operations and improve combat readiness.