On August 4, Japan’s Cabinet approved the 2026 edition of its annual defense white paper, warning that China is steadily expanding its military reach into the Pacific beyond the First Island Chain, the strategic arc linking Japan’s southwestern islands, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
The report, Defense of Japan 2026, again described China as “an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge” to Japan’s peace and security, repeating language first adopted in Japan’s revised National Security Strategy in 2022. This year’s white paper placed particular emphasis on China’s expanding military activities in the Pacific, highlighting what Tokyo views as Beijing’s growing ability to project military power beyond the so-called First Island Chain and increasingly deeper into the Pacific.
The report argued that these challenges should be addressed by strengthening Japan’s “comprehensive national power,” together with closer cooperation with allies and like-minded partners. It also emphasized lessons from modern warfare and the need to reinforce Japan’s defense industrial base.
The white paper said that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has become increasingly active around Japan in the East China Sea, the Sea of Japan, and the western Pacific beyond the First Island Chain.
