Japan Flags China Greatest Strategic Threat in 2025 Defence White Paper

Japan's 2025 Defence White Paper highlights China as the greatest strategic threat in the Asia-Pacific region, emphasizing Beijing's expanding military capabilities, aggressive activities near Taiwan and Japanese territories, and deepening ties with authoritarian nations including Russia and North Korea. The document, endorsed by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government, warns that the growing cooperation among these nations, referred to as the 'Axis of Upheaval' or CRINK, challenges the rules-based international order and poses an unprecedented security risk to Japan and the global community. Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth both underscore the seriousness of the threat, with Hegseth warning that China is preparing to alter the Indo-Pacific balance of power and that the U.S. stands ready to decisively respond if deterrence fails. Additionally, the Pentagon's newly established Golden Dome office, led by Space Force General Mike Guetlein, aims to defend the U.S. homeland from advanced missile threats posed by China and Russia, including hypersonic and stealth technologies. These developments reflect a coordinated response by the U.S. and Japan to escalating military challenges from China and its allies in the region. The combined assessments reveal a heightened alertness to the evolving security environment marked by sophisticated military advancements and complex geopolitical alliances.