Japan views China's increased naval activity a matter of grave concern for East Asia and the rest of the international community.
The annual white paper of the Defense Ministry says China's Defense budget has increased by about 30 times over the past 24 years, which officials believe is partly due to the building of aircraft carriers, Japanese media reported on Tuesday.
The white paper also notes China's increased naval activities in the East China Sea and the South China Sea by deploying warships more frequently to the region. Japan's Senkaku Islands, which were also claimed by China, are located in the East China Sea.
The document expressed concern over China's reluctance to disclose military information. It has also noted Russia's increased military activities in the sea off Japan where Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited one of the disputed islands recently earning the wrath of Japan.
The white paper will be released to the public after being submitted to the Cabinet by the end of this month.
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May 22, 2026 14:46 ET Minutes of the latest Fed policy session was the highlight of the week along with survey data on the U.S. housing market. In Europe, survey data signaled the trends in the euro area private sector. Further, consumer price inflation data from the U.K. was in focus. In Asia, various economic indicators from China drew attention to the health of the economy.