BEIJING, Sept. 30 – “China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to Japanese defense officials' provocative words on China,” said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, at a regular press conference on September 30.
It is reported that Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi recently accused China of its increase of national defense expenditure.
Senior Colonel Wu pointed out China's national defense expenditure is open, transparent and appropriate. He illustrated that in the past nearly 30 years, China’s annual defense expenditure accounts for less than 2% of GDP, lower than that of other major countries and the world average level of 2.6%, and the per capita military expenditure is only 1/5 that of Japan’s. In contrast, Japan, instead of sincerely reflecting on its aggressive history, has kept increasing its defense budget to new records.
In addition, Japan has also reinforced military forces on its southwestern islands and developed emerging combat forces such as the cyber force and space operation squadron, which far exceeds the needs of “exclusively defense-oriented strategy”, Wu added.
Apart from the military expenditure, Nobuo Kishi also claimed that the Diaoyu Island is Japanese territory. Yasuhide Nakayama, Japan's Deputy Defense Minister, even alleged that Japan takes the peace and stability in Taiwan as its own business.
Wu stressed that these words have grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs, and damaged China’s sovereignty. He reiterated once again that the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands have always been an inherent part of Chinese territory, which is a fundamental fact that cannot be changed no matter what Japan clamors.
"Taiwan question is fully and completely China’s internal affair. It has nothing to do with Japan". Wu solemnly admonished the Japanese side that China today is not what it used to be, and China will not allow any country to meddle in the Taiwan question by any means.
