Lashing out at Japan's latest defense white paper released last Tuesday, China said the Tokyo government was deliberately ignoring "facts" and playing up "China's military threat."
The 450 page-report "deliberately ignores facts and plays up 'China's military threat'" Chinese State News Agency Xinhua quoted Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman Geng Yansheng as saying on Friday.
The Chinese defense ministry spokesman said Japan was reluctant to accept its past mistakes and falsely accuses the Beijing government of destroying the relationship between the two powerful Asian countries.
The spokesman further said Tokyo's remarks could mislead international opinion and create tensions in the Asian region.
"We urge the Japanese side to reflect on its aggressive history, choose the path of peaceful development and win the trust of its Asian neighbors by concrete actions", said Geng Yansheng.
In its annual report on Japan's defense capabilities and regional security since the tension over the East China Sea flared up afresh last year, the Tokyo government said Chinese "coercive" naval actions in the region could trigger an incident.
"China's activities include its intrusion into Japan's territorial waters, its violation of Japan's territorial airspace and even dangerous actions that could cause a contingency," said Japan in its latest defense report.
The U.S. President Barack Obama warned China against the use of force or intimidation in its regional maritime disputes with its neighboring countries, according to a statement released by the White House, Thursday.
President Obama raised the issue with the Chinese delegation, which was in Washington for the U.S.-China annual strategic and economic dialogue.
China and Japan are engaged in a long-running dispute over the Tokyo-controlled islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
Tensions over the uninhabited island chain in recent months have increased with both sides reportedly mounting up the presence of their planes and ships in the region almost as if in preparation for a war.
