TOKYO: The Japanese government expressed concern about the possibility of deeper military cooperation between China and Russia in an annual defense white paper released Friday.

Japan needs to pay close attention to the matter with concern, the white paper said.

Chinese and Russian forces may conduct joint activity near Japan on a regular basis, the white paper warned. In May, the two countries conducted a joint flight of their warplanes around Japan for the fourth time this year.

The white paper also said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is unforgivable.

In the paper, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said that the international community is facing the biggest challenge in post-World War II history and has entered the era of a new crisis for the 21st century.

He called for Japan to strengthen its defense capabilities under such a situation.

The white paper said that Russia failed in the initial phase of its military aggression against Ukraine. Russia may step up its strategic nuclear submarine activity in the Sea of Okhotsk in the Russian Far East until the country recovers the loss of conventional forces, it said.

The paper pointed out that the prolonged fighting in Ukraine could lead to a medium- to long-term decline in Russia’s national power and a change in the military balance in the region.

The white paper reiterated that China’s assertiveness is a matter of grave security concern, adding that it is growing in recent years.

Chinese coast guard activity in waters off the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, escalates tensions and is utterly unacceptable, it said.

Increased intrusions by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwanese airspace is intended to improve capabilities for actual warfare, the paper said, stressing the need to ensure stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The paper said North Korea is a serious and imminent threat to Japan‘s security and that this trend has become stronger recently.

North Korea’s resumption this year of intermediate- to long-range ballistic missile launches cannot be overlooked, the paper said.

JIJI Press