As Japan marked the 80th anniversary of its surrender in World War II on Friday, the PLA Daily warned in a commentary that “the spectre of militarism has never left the Japanese archipelago”, and that right-wing forces had “never abandoned the dream of becoming a military power”.
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Japan weighs bold era of militarisation as Tokyo races to meet defence spending goals
Japan weighs bold era of militarisation as Tokyo races to meet defence spending goals
Such visits have consistently drawn sharp criticism from China and other Asian neighbours, which view the shrine as glorifying Japanese militarism and insulting the victims of Japan’s wartime aggression.
The commentary in the People’s Liberation Army’s newspaper also warned against Tokyo’s expanding defence partnerships, citing deeper US-Japan military integration, reciprocal access agreements with Australia, Britain and the Philippines, and growing engagement with Nato.
“Under the pretext of cooperation and exchange, Japan is using military linkages to build momentum for its own military development,” it said.
