Chinese Foreign Ministry Criticizes Japan’s Largest Ever Defense Budget in Draft Budget for Fiscal 2026

By Keiichiro Azuma / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

14:56 JST, December 27, 2025

BEIJING — Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian criticized Japan’s fiscal 2026 draft defense budget at a press conference on Friday.

He said the draft budget, which sets a record amount for defense-related spending, revealed “Japanese right-wing forces’ motive to remilitarize Japan and resurrect militarism.”

He also expressed caution about Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, saying, “Since the new Japanese government took office, it has been notably accelerating military buildup.”