China urges Japan to commit to path of peaceful development: FM spokesperson

BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- China urges Japan to commit itself to the path of peaceful development, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks during a regular press conference in regards to reports stating that Japan's parliament approved its budget for fiscal year 2024, with a record-high defense budget of 7.95 trillion yen.

Given Japan's not-too-distant history of militarist aggression, the military and security actions of Japan are closely watched by its Asian neighbors and the international community, Lin said.

In recent years, Japan has significantly adjusted its security policies, increased its defense budget year after year, continuously relaxed restrictions on arms exports, and pursued military advancements, Lin noted, adding that these actions have prompted strong scrutiny from both Japan's Asian neighbors and the international community, raising doubts about Japan's sincerity in upholding its commitment to an exclusively defense-oriented policy and adhering to the path of peaceful development.

"We urge Japan to earnestly respect the security concerns of neighboring countries, deeply reflect on its history of aggression, commit itself to the path of peaceful development and avoid further losing the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community," Lin said.