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Japan sounds alarm over China’s expanding Pacific footprint, vows defence boost

Beijing is strengthening its aircraft carrier force as it improves capacity to operate in more distant seas and airspace, white paper warns

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Gabriel DominguezandDannie Pengin BeijingPublished: 8:00pm, 4 Aug 2026Updated: 9:37pm, 4 Aug 2026

Japan’s latest defence white paper warns of China’s growing ability to sustain military operations farther into the western Pacific Ocean, while pledging to bolster its own monitoring systems, strike capabilities and ammunition production.

Released on Tuesday, the 610-page document cautions that Beijing is strengthening its aircraft carrier force as it steadily improves its capacity to operate in more distant seas and airspace.

In Beijing, defence ministry spokesman Chen Xi said the white paper was “replete with false narratives” and “hyped up the so-called China threat”.

Chen said the Japanese government’s defence build-up was a “vain attempt to deeply embed arms expansion and war preparations into national institutions, economic industries and public opinion”.

Warning against what he called Japan’s growing “neo-militarism”, Chen added: “It has become a severe challenge to the post-war international order and a real threat to regional peace and stability.”

He also urged Tokyo “not to go further down the wrong path of re-militarisation”.

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