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China warns Japan’s long-range strike plans could affect PLA operations
China’s defense ministry cited Japan’s submarine drone missile plans and hypersonic weapon tests in Australia as potential risks for PLA Navy missions in the first island chain.
China has criticized Japan’s military buildup, pointing to plans to arm submarine drones with long-range missiles and to test hypersonic weapons in Australia, warning the moves could complicate the People’s Liberation Army’s operations in the first island chain, according to South China Morning Post.
The first island chain runs from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines and Borneo. China’s defense ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said on Thursday that Japan had “openly expanded its military arsenal” and argued the initiatives have a “striking resemblance” to Japan’s pre-World War II militarization, though he did not detail why those specific programs would challenge the PLA.
Japan has been rapidly expanding its long-range strike capabilities since adopting a “counterstrike capability” in its 2022 security strategy. Under that policy, Tokyo says it could strike military targets in an adversary’s territory for self-defense after an armed attack, while pre-emptive strikes remain prohibited, SCMP Economy reports.