Tokyo and Beijing exchange allegations at security summit

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Tokyo and Beijing have traded barbs at a security summit in Singapore, where the Japanese defence minister rejected accusations from Beijing that his country was engaging in “neo-militarism” similar to the Second World War. Shinjiro Koizumi argued it was China and its “huge arsenal” that threatened international stability, not Japan. Afterwards a Chinese official called for Japan to apologise for the atrocities it committed during the war. Since taking office in October, Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi has significantly increased defence spending and loosened rules on arms exports in response to China’s military rise. She has also said Japan would defend Taiwan if China invaded the island. This drew a furious response from Beijing, which urged its citizens not to travel to Japan and banned Japanese seafood imports.