China Raises Alarm Over Japan's New National Intelligence Council

(MENAFN) China voiced sharp concern Thursday over Japan's decision to establish a national intelligence council, invoking the country's militarist past as Tokyo moves to centralize and expand its intelligence apparatus, state media reported.

Japan's parliament passed the landmark legislation by majority vote on Wednesday, creating a unified command structure that consolidates the country's previously fragmented intelligence functions. The new council will be chaired by the prime minister, with a national intelligence bureau serving as its operational arm.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing is concerned about relevant developments that have sparked controversy and skepticism both inside and outside Japan, state-run media reported.

"Historically, Japanese intelligence agencies helped lay the groundwork for Japan's militarism and its wars of aggression, and committed innumerable crimes against neighboring Asian countries and the Japanese people," she said.

Mao urged Japanese leaders to "learn lessons from history and act prudently."

The remarks reflect Beijing's broader unease over Japan's accelerating defense buildup, which has included record military budgets and an expanded strategic posture in recent years — moves that have drawn repeated criticism from both China and South Korea.

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