Japan, not China, is the real threat

A white paper issued on Aug 5 by Japan's Ministry of Defense has again hyped the so-called "China threat" theory as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet continues to engage in activities to destabilize the Asia-Pacific region.

Expressing concern over China's military build-up, the white paper seeks the cabinet's permission to use the right to collective self-defense as a "historic" opportunity, bolstering Abe's ambition to militarize the island country.

Such ignorance of the dangerous path that the country is being led down to becomes even more alarming when viewed in the context of the white paper's special reference to China's declaration of an Air Defense Identification Zone in November last year. The white paper says China's move is extremely dangerous and could escalate tensions and trigger an unwanted clash. But the truth is otherwise; it is Japan that has increased surveillance in the region and resorted to aggressive military interactions with other countries.