Defense Ministry: Japan's obstinate push for bloc confrontation finds no support

The Chinese Defense Ministry on Thursday slammed the so-called US-Japan joint exercises, stressing that Japan's insistence on stoking bloc confrontation finds no support.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang speaks at a regular press conference in Beijing, China, October 29, 2026. /Chinese Defense Ministry

According to reports, the US and Japan recently held the "Keen Sword 27" joint exercise, the largest iteration of the series to date, focusing on island-seizure operations. The Japan Self-Defense Forces deployed Type 25 Surface-to-Ship Guided Missiles during the exercise. In addition, the US Marine Corps' Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System was deployed for the first time on Yonaguni Island, the Japanese island closest to China's Taiwan region.

In response to the military exercise, Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said at a regular press conference that the Asia-Pacific is a high ground for peace and development. "Those who follow the prevailing trend of peace can go far, while those who insist on stoking bloc confrontation find no support."

He noted that Japan has courted and catered to countries outside the region to conduct so-called joint exercises, developed and deployed intermediate- and long-range missiles, continuously beefed up military deployments on its southwestern islands, and accelerated remilitarization, becoming a real threat to regional security.

"The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair. We will never allow external forces to meddle in China's Taiwan region," the spokesperson reiterated.

No one should underestimate the firm determination, iron will and strong capabilities of the Chinese side in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zhang said.

He added that anyone who attempts to use Taiwan to contain China and even overreach itself with military provocations will inevitably pay an unbearable price.