Foreign
Japan’s so-called “China threat” rhetoric cannot deceive world
By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
Japan says it seeks to “fundamentally reinforce its defense capabilities” and is planning to spend 43.5 trillion yen ($303.5 billion) on defense in the coming five years in a 2023 defense white paper it recently issued.
Turning a blind eye to facts, the white paper labels China as an “unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge” to Japan. It hypes the so-called “China threat,” grossly interferes in China’s domestic affairs, and smears China’s defense policy, normal military development and legitimate military actions.
This clearly reveals the scheme of the Japanese side to find excuses for its own military expansion by fanning up the so-called “China threat.”
China pursues peaceful development and a defense policy that is defensive in nature. It has never challenged or threatened other countries. China reinforces national defense and military development to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, which is legitimate and beyond reproach.
Currently, the situations on the East China Sea and the South China Sea are generally stable. The Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands have been China’s territory since ancient times. The navigation by the Chinese public service vessels in waters off the Diaoyu Island is a legitimate measure taken by China to exercise its national sovereignty in accordance with law.
Japan is not a country concerned with the South China Sea issue. It should stop creating chaos and confrontation. Military cooperation including joint naval patrol between China and relevant countries is consistent with international law and established international practice. Using China’s normal military development as an excuse and fanning up the rhetoric that China’s “unilateral attempts and actions to change the status quo” have been more and more frequent is just another awkward show of fabricating the so-called “Chinese military threat,” which intensifies the tension in the region.
On the East China Sea, no one has ever tried to change the status quo of the Diaoyu Island but Japan. In the Asia-Pacific, the ones who really threaten regional peace and stability and try to unilaterally change the status quo are some external countries that frequently show off their muscle with aircraft and warships for private interests.
Taiwan is China’s territory. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair, which brooks no interference by any external force. The one-China principle, which matters the politic foundation of China-Japan relations, is a red line that shall not be crossed. Japan bears grave historical responsibility to the Chinese people on the Taiwan question. In recent years, instead of reflecting on its mistakes, Japan has repeatedly broken its promises on the Taiwan question and hollowed out the one-China principle.
From hyping that “Any contingency for Taiwan is a emergency for Japan” to the recent claim by a high-ranking Japanese official that Japan would likely provide defense equipment support or logistics support for Taiwan, Japan has turned a total blind eye to the basic norms governing international relations and the principles of the four China-Japan political documents, grossly interfered in China’s domestic affairs, and undermined the political foundation of China-Japan relations.
The remarks and deeds by the Japanese side have escalated tensions across the Taiwan Strait. This is extremely wrong and dangerous.
Japan has revealed its wrong perception of China by taking the latter as an “unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge.” If Japan’s China policy was made based on this wrong perception, it would be misguided.
It is agreed in the fourth China-Japan political document that the two countries should “be partners, not threats.” This should be the basis for the mutual recognition between the two countries.
China’s Japan policy has been consistent and stable, and China never sees Japan as a threat. China opposes the “China threat” theory that’s biased and hostile.
For some time, Japan has made frequent negative actions on issues related to China, which severely disturbed the two countries’ bilateral relations. Only by abandoning the beggar-thy-neighbor mentality of zero-sum confrontation and establishing a correct understanding of China can Japan bring bilateral relations to the right track with concrete actions.
The true intention of Japan in hyping the so-called “China threat” is to find excuses for its own military expansion. The country says it follows a peaceful path, respects the rule of law and advocates peaceful diplomatic solutions to any disputes. However, what it does is undermining the post-war international order and seeking military expansion. It updated its National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and Defense Buildup Program, significantly lifted its defense budget and hyped the development of the so-called “counterstrike capability.”
The Japanese side has continuously violated the pacifist constitution and the “exclusively defense-oriented” principle in recent years and is moving further down the path of military expansion.
It also follows the wrong China policy of the United States, cooperating with the latter to make troubles on issues concerning China’s core interests. Regardless of the opposition from regional countries, Japan promoted NATO’s eastward foray, placing regional countries in the danger of major country gambling and bloc confrontation. This has triggered grave concerns and high alert from the international community.
Japan can never deceive the world with its efforts to hype the so-called “China threat” or with its excuses to seek military expansion. If Japan wants to be normalized, it should face up to and reflect on its history of aggression, stop interfering in China’s domestic affairs, stop undermining China’s interests, abandon its attempts to hype the so-called threats surrounding it and loosen the bonds on military development, and take a responsible attitude and concrete actions to win trust from its neighbors in Asia and the international community.
(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)
The Trump administration has initiated sweeping layoffs at Voice of America (VOA) and other U.S.-funded international broadcasters, effectively dismantling institutions long seen as critical for American influence abroad.
On Sunday, contractors working for VOA received an email notification that their employment would be terminated by the end of March. “You must cease all work immediately and are not permitted to access any agency buildings or systems,” the email read, according to multiple staff members who confirmed the development.
The move, which comes just a day after all employees were placed on administrative leave, disproportionately affects non-English-language services, where contractors make up a significant portion of the workforce. Many of these contractors are not U.S. citizens and may now face visa issues, further complicating their status in the country.
While most full-time staff remain employed for now, they have been told not to work, leaving VOA and its sister organizations in a state of uncertainty. Some services, unable to produce new programming, have resorted to playing music.
VOA, founded during World War II, has been a critical tool for U.S. public diplomacy, broadcasting in 49 languages to audiences in countries where press freedom is restricted. However, President Trump signed an executive order on Friday targeting its parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), as part of broader federal budget cuts.
The cuts extend beyond VOA, affecting other U.S.-funded media entities such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio Farda (which broadcasts in Persian to Iran), and Alhurra, an Arabic-language network launched after the 2003 Iraq invasion. The administration argues that taxpayers should not fund what it calls “radical propaganda,” despite VOA’s longstanding editorial independence.
Liam Scott, a VOA journalist covering press freedom and disinformation, expressed concern over the decision. “I’ve covered press freedom for a long time, and I’ve never seen something like what’s happened in the U.S. over the past couple of months,” he wrote on social media.
The move has drawn international attention, particularly from China and Russia, which have been expanding their own state-funded media efforts. The Chinese state-run *Global Times* reacted with an editorial declaring that “the monopoly of information held by traditional Western media is being shattered.”
Trump’s administration has pursued aggressive cuts across federal agencies, including eliminating most foreign aid and significantly reducing the Department of Education. With input from tech billionaire Elon Musk, Trump has focused on reducing government size to facilitate tax cuts.
As the global media landscape shifts, the dismantling of U.S.-funded broadcasters leaves a vacuum that could be filled by rival state-controlled networks. Whether Congress or legal challenges will intervene remains to be seen, but for now, the future of America’s international broadcasting efforts hangs in the balance.
A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s attempt to deport migrants allegedly linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua under a wartime law.
US District Judge James Boasberg issued a restraining order preventing the administration from using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expel undocumented migrants accused of gang ties. The order initially protected five individuals challenging the deportation but was later expanded to all affected noncitizens in US custody.
Boasberg also directed that any planes carrying these migrants be returned to the United States. “Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned,” he ruled. The restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days or until further court action.
The Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act, citing Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization that has “unlawfully infiltrated the United States” and is engaging in hostile actions. However, civil rights groups, including the ACLU, argue that the gang’s activities do not meet the legal definition of an invasion.
The Justice Department has appealed the ruling, while the case continues in court.
By Gu Yekai, Liu Yiqing, People’s Daily
At a smart construction project site managed by China State Construction Engineering Corporation, a quiet technological revolution is underway. Amid cranes and concrete, engineers are deploying advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems that could fundamentally reshape the construction industry.
Li Fengjian, an AI specialistwith Xianyuan Technology, detailed how the company’s latest intelligent system – built on a large model – adapts to complex construction environments.”Engineering machinery equipped with intelligent agents can adjust its operations automatically in response to weather conditions,” Li explained, adding that a spatiotemporal sensing network further enhances the system, providing real-time tracking of both personnel and materials throughout the construction site.
In February this year, Xianyuan Technology rapidly integrated its self-developed model with DeepSeek-R1, effectively blending a general-purpose framework with industry-specific models. This integration, Li noted, has produced a solution capable of delivering expert-level performance in challenging, dynamic environments. The firm is based in the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center, aburgeoning AI incubator that now hosts over 200 innovative enterprises.
China’s technological transformation extends well beyond the construction sector. Overthe past three decades, the country has evolved from its initial forays into internet connectivity to becoming a key player in global digital innovation.
Here, a steady stream of technological innovations are emerging, from the early days of emails and web browsing to the cutting-edge technologies represented by DeepSeek and the dynamic evolution of social media.
Wu Jianping, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and headof the Zhongguancun Laboratory, pointed out that while China had introduced only one internet standard before 2005, it now contributes to over 200 worldwide. Such strides illustrate the country’s concerted push toward high-level technological self-reliance – a journey marked by both persistence and determination.
Beyond the digital realm, China is makingsignificant inroads in aerospace, new energy, and other high-tech sectors. It has transitioned from being a follower to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with global leaders, and in some areas, even taking the lead. Wu attributed these achievements to a dynamic ecosystem of policy reforms and talent cultivation that encourages creativity and technical expertise at every level.
Amid intensifying international competition, collaborative research and the integration of new technologies with traditional industries are central to China’s high-quality economic development.
Mei Linhai, a researcher at China’s State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Intelligence, remarked that the age of AI calls for continuous exploration. “In this era, everyone is an innovator. Only by persistently pushing the boundaries can we remain at the forefront of both technological and industrial development,” Mei observed.
In the field of general-purpose AI, Mei emphasized that independent innovation is paramount. He advocates for a self-driven industrial ecosystem that leveragesbreakthrough technologies to boost productivity and unlock new possibilities, Mei said.
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