Japan to Mull Whether to Call China "Threat" in Key Papers

Tokyo, May 10 (Jiji Press)--Japan will consider whether to call China a "threat" in the upcoming revision of its three major security-related documents by year-end.

Tensions between the two Asian countries have increased markedly since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's parliamentary remarks on a possible Taiwan contingency in November last year.

The situation would deteriorate further if Japan uses stronger language than in the current version of the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program, released in December 2022.

Some in the ruling camp take a hard line, while others prefer a more restrained approach in consideration of the bilateral relations.

In a proposal submitted before the 2022 revision, the Liberal Democratic Party said China's military actions should be termed a "serious security threat."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]