The Associated Press reports that “China’s Defense Ministry has angrily rejected accusations from Japan that the Chinese military is destabilizing the regional military balance by seeking to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas, accusing Japan of seeking to deceive the international community and sow discord between China and its neighbors.”  

“A ministry statement issued late Tuesday said Japan’s annual defense report was ‘full of lousy cliches, makes irresponsible remarks on China’s normal and legal national defense and military development (and) hypes up the East and South China Sea issues.'”  

“‘The ultimate objective of Japan is to cook (up) excuses for adjusting by leaps and bounds its military and security policies and accelerating its arms expansion, even rewriting the pacifist constitution,’ the statement said, referring to legislation passed last year that loosened post-World War II constraints on the Japanese military.”