The Japanese government has approved a defense white paper presenting changes to its defense policy. The Xinhua news agency accuses the document of  smearing China's normal maritime activities. In the 480-page white paper, Japan devotes some 30 pages on China's defense and maritime activities in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

The white paper also includes details of Japan's rising military spending, and its efforts to promote arms sales. Critics say that by playing up an alleged "China threat," the Japanese government is attempting to justify its own militarization and its amendment of the post-war pacifist constitution.

"Since Shinzo Abe took office as Japan's Prime Minister, he has been publicizing the so-called "China threat", making statements that depict China as an imaginary enemy that is planning to attack Japan. In order to defend against China, Japan needs to improve its defense capabilities. That's the logic behind Japan's white papers in recent years. Japan is utilizing the recent South China Sea arbitral tribunal award to criticize China publicly, but Japan itself is not even involved in the South China Sea dispute. I think there's no grounds for such accusations," said former LDP member Totsuka Shinya.