CHINA PERSPECTIVE

The South China Morning Post headlines what Beijing dreads most: 'Japan's new arms export rules trigger Chinese warning against moves towards militarism.' The word 'militarism' is carefully chosen -- it echoes the Imperial Japanese Army and World War II atrocities, a trauma deeply embedded in China.

The SCMP reports that Chinese spokesman Guo Jiakun declared 'serious concern' and that Beijing 'will remain highly vigilant and resolutely resist any reckless actions by Japan towards a new form of militarism.' But the most revealing detail is the list of potential buyers: India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam -- all countries in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

The SCMP notes that Tokyo-Beijing relations have been 'largely frozen since November' when Takaichi said Japan might intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked. For Beijing, this reform isn't a technical adjustment -- it's the arming of China's direct adversaries by its historic rival. China reads this vote not as the end of Japanese pacifism but as the beginning of an anti-Chinese military coalition in the Asia-Pacific.