Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida effectively retracted his remarks over the weekend in which he described China's military expansion as a "threat" to the region, saying Tuesday that he instead meant to say "concern."
The remarks, made in a Sunday appearance on NHK, "would not change the view the Japanese government has so far held," Kishida told a news conference. "Therefore, in my remarks, I meant to say 'concern,' not 'threat.' "
The foreign minister, however, noted that his remarks reflected growing concern among Japan and other nations in the region about China's military spending, which he said is increasing in an opaque manner, and its increasingly visible maritime activities.