China’s military expansion could threaten Japan’s peace and prosperity, PM Yoshihide Suga warns

China’s changing of the status quo with its military power in the background could present a risk to Japan, Suga said ahead of the first Quad summit

He also said Tokyo should strengthen its alliance with the US to bolster deterrence, and work on increasing its own defensive capabilities

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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Photo: AP

Published: 5:53pm, 22 Sep 2021Updated: 5:53pm, 22 Sep 2021

China’s rapidly growing military influence and unilateral changing of the status quo could present a risk to Japan, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday ahead of the first Quad summit.

“The changing power balance brought by the rise of China in the Indo-Pacific, along with the increasing inward focus spurred by the pandemic have increased uncertainty,” Suga said before the first in-person leaders’ meeting of Quad nations US, Australia, India and Japan, which is to be held on Friday at the White House.

The group of democracies is seen as trying to balance China’s increasing influence and military might in the region. Beijing has accused the US of trying to form a clique.

China’s changing of the status quo with its military power in the background “could present a risk to our country’s peace and prosperity,” Suga added.

In response, Japan should strengthen its alliance with the US to bolster deterrence, and also work on increasing its own defensive capabilities, he said, adding it was still important for Japan and China to maintain dialogue.

The Japanese leader’s trip to the US will be the swansong of his one-year premiership, with a September 29 election in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party set to pick his successor as leader and therefore prime minister.

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Seen as a diplomatic novice when he took over, Suga has presided over a downturn in relations with China, his country’s biggest trading partner.

China’s military expansion could threaten Japan’s peace and prosperity, PM Yoshihide Suga warns

China’s changing of the status quo with its military power in the background could present a risk to Japan, Suga said ahead of the first Quad summit He also said Tokyo should strengthen its alliance with the US to bolster deterrence, and work on increasing its own defensive capabilities

China’s changing of the status quo with its military power in the background could present a risk to Japan, Suga said ahead of the first Quad summit

He also said Tokyo should strengthen its alliance with the US to bolster deterrence, and work on increasing its own defensive capabilities