Beijing protests Tokyo’s annual Diplomatic Bluebook, which registers concern over China’s military activity

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has hit out at Japan, after its annual foreign policy assessment emphasized concerns over China’s behavior and military activity. Beijing called on Tokyo to build stable ties.

Speaking on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin urged Tokyo not to provoke Beijing and, instead, to build positive relations with its neighbor. “The Diplomatic Bluebook issued by the Japanese government that you mentioned calls China-Japan relations one of the most important bilateral relations. We hope that this should not only be verbal but should be dealt with in actual actions,” the spokesman said in response to a question. 

However, Wang was more concerned by the allegations made in the annual assessment that talked of the so-called “China threat,” and smeared Beijing’s reputation with “malicious attacks,” as well as making what he stated were unreasonable interferences into China’s internal affairs. “China firmly opposes this and has made solemn representations to Japan through diplomatic channels. The current Sino-Japanese relations are facing severe tests. We urge the Japanese side to correct its wrong practices,” he noted. 

Wang also hit back at Japanese claims to the Diaoyu Islands (which Japan refers to as the Senkaku Islands) and other islands mentioned in the Bluebook, and highlighted that the territory in question belongs to China. “The Chinese Coast Guard’s patrol enforcement activities in the waters of the Diaoyu Islands are exercising their own inherent rights in accordance with the law,” he stated, adding that Tokyo should also refrain from interfering in issues relating to Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

On Tuesday, Japan published its 2021 Diplomatic Bluebook, which stated Chinese actions, including military buildup, unilateral actions in the contested waters, and a lack of transparency, posed “strong concerns” in the region and to the international community. 

Relations between the two nations have been strained in recent years, with Tokyo’s military siding with the US, Australia, and India in light of Beijing’s increasing assertiveness in the region. China has also registered its displeasure at Japan’s plans to dump more than a million tons of Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the ocean.

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