Japan's Defense White Paper to Mention Chinese Military Drills Around Taiwan: Report
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- 📰 Published: May 17, 2026 at 18:39
- 🔍 Collected: May 17, 2026 at 19:01 (22 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 17, 2026 at 19:04 (2 min after Collected)
(CNA Tokyo, 17th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Japan's Kyodo News recently obtained a draft of the Japanese government's 2026 Defense White Paper, which indicates plans to analyze China's repeated military exercises in the sea and airspace around Taiwan. The analysis will reportedly frame these actions as attempts to enhance combat capabilities and to establish such activities as a new normal, a fait accompli.
According to the Kyodo report, the draft of Japan's new Defense White Paper also positions China as 'an entity to be addressed through comprehensive national strength and in cooperation with allies and like-minded countries.'
According to the draft obtained by Kyodo, the new Defense White Paper will mention the movements of the Chinese military around Japan and express vigilance about its increasingly frequent activities on the Pacific side. It lists examples such as China deploying two aircraft carriers simultaneously in the Pacific for the first time last June, and its fighter jets conducting 'abnormally close' approaches to Self-Defense Forces aircraft.
Furthermore, the draft content also refers to Japan's claim in December of last year that a Self-Defense Forces aircraft was locked on by the radar of a Chinese military aircraft, and criticizes Beijing for 'continuing to significantly increase its defense budget without transparency.'
Additionally, the draft expresses 'serious concern' over the joint flight of Chinese and Russian bombers over the Pacific near Japan in December of last year.
Regarding North Korea, the draft assesses that North Korea is advancing its missile development at an extremely rapid pace, 'posing a more serious and imminent threat than ever before.'
The official content of Japan's new Defense White Paper will be released as early as July.
According to the Kyodo report, the draft of Japan's new Defense White Paper also positions China as 'an entity to be addressed through comprehensive national strength and in cooperation with allies and like-minded countries.'
According to the draft obtained by Kyodo, the new Defense White Paper will mention the movements of the Chinese military around Japan and express vigilance about its increasingly frequent activities on the Pacific side. It lists examples such as China deploying two aircraft carriers simultaneously in the Pacific for the first time last June, and its fighter jets conducting 'abnormally close' approaches to Self-Defense Forces aircraft.
Furthermore, the draft content also refers to Japan's claim in December of last year that a Self-Defense Forces aircraft was locked on by the radar of a Chinese military aircraft, and criticizes Beijing for 'continuing to significantly increase its defense budget without transparency.'
Additionally, the draft expresses 'serious concern' over the joint flight of Chinese and Russian bombers over the Pacific near Japan in December of last year.
Regarding North Korea, the draft assesses that North Korea is advancing its missile development at an extremely rapid pace, 'posing a more serious and imminent threat than ever before.'
The official content of Japan's new Defense White Paper will be released as early as July.