PRC security threat, Taiwan Strait peace, highlighted in Japan report

Tokyo, April 9 (CNA) Japan's annual diplomatic report released on Tuesday took aim at the growing security threat posed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) and reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The 2025 Diplomatic Bluebook, which was presented by Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi at a Cabinet meeting, focused on the difficult international situation, including the security environment in East Asia and the PRC's growing military activity around Japan.

The report noted China's attempts to unilaterally change by force the status quo around the East China Sea, including the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in Taiwan, and the South China Sea.

In its latest Diplomatic Bluebook, the Japanese government also expressed serious concern about growing military cooperation between China and Russia.

The report indicated that Chinese and Russian military aircraft both crossed into Japanese airspace in 2024.

Further south, the PRC conducted "coercive and intimidating maneuvers" in the South China Sea and carried out military exercises around Taiwan, the report said.

It stressed that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait was not only a guarantee for Japan's security, but also a cornerstone of stability for the international community.

Statements issued at meetings of G7 foreign ministers have also affirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues since 2021, the report noted.

It also included the joint statement released after a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Washington in February.

According to the statement, "the two leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community."

"They encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues and opposed any attempts to unilaterally force or coerce changes to the status quo," it said.

Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook normally records events from the previous year (the 2025 edition recorded events from January to December 2024), but this new edition included important events from early 2025, including Ishiba's meeting with Trump in February.