The Defense Ministry said Tuesday it remains deeply concerned about China's maritime ambitions in the region, particularly in the light of Chinese domestic trends.
The defense white paper for 2015 examines a range of global threats and pays particular attention to China's growing military assertiveness in the East China Sea and South China Sea, accusing it of "high-handed" actions to change the status quo by force.
"Coupled with a lack of transparency in terms of military and security affairs, China's military development is of concern to the regional and international community, including our country," Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told a news conference following Cabinet approval of the annual paper.