China strongly criticized Japan's rearmament push at the 23rd Asia Security Summit (Shangri-La Dialogue), where more than 40 countries took part to discuss security issues.
On the 31st, according to the English-language outlet Global Times under the People's Daily, Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the National Defense University who serves as the delegation's Director General, targeted Japan in a session held the previous day on "managing threats to strategic stability," saying that "hegemonism is threatening regional security."
Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo Trials), he argued, "Some forces are glorifying war crimes, distorting the history of World War II, and trying to whitewash the history of aggression."
In particular, citing Japan's push to revise its pacifist constitution, discussions on modifying the three non-nuclear principles, and the possibility of deploying allied nuclear weapons in Japan, he said these moves "are increasing the risks of nuclear proliferation."
Meng said, "It is questionable whether a country that has not completely eradicated the roots of militarism can claim the moral authority to discuss other countries' defense cooperation on the international stage," adding, "It is also a serious question whether it can gain the trust of Asian countries that suffered past aggression."
By contrast, the message toward the United States was relatively restrained. Meng said of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's reference in his speech to the recent U.S.-China summit in Beijing and the agreements between the two leaders, "We hope China and the United States move toward each other," and, "We hope bilateral military relations develop in a healthy, stable, and sustainable direction."
At last year's Shangri-La Dialogue, the Chinese delegation sharply criticized the U.S. policy of containing China and the Indo-Pacific strategy.
The United States also appeared to dial down its tone this year. In last year's speech, Secretary Hegseth defined China as a "substantial and immediate threat," but this year he said "U.S.-China relations are in the best condition in years," calling the Beijing U.S.-China summit "historic."
Still, both sides maintained messages of restraint. Secretary Hegseth said, "No country, including China, can exercise hegemony and threaten the security and prosperity of the United States and its allies." In response, Meng countered, "Hegemonism and bloc confrontation are undermining regional security."