China, Mongolia oppose militarism, taking veiled swipe at Japan

China's top diplomat Wang Yi and his Mongolian counterpart Batmunkh Battsetseg have agreed to "oppose all forms of fascism and militarism," according to a joint communique released Monday by the Chinese Foreign Ministry that appeared to indirectly criticize Japan's defense buildup policies.

Wang and Battsetseg, who met on Saturday in Ulaanbaatar, also said the two countries "reject any words or actions that seek to distort or reverse the course of history," the Chinese ministry said.

Amid strained Sino-Japanese ties over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks last November on how Japan might respond to a crisis over Taiwan, China has been stepping up criticism of her security policies, claiming her comments "openly challenge the postwar international order."

In the joint communique, the top diplomats of China and Mongolia said they would uphold the outcome of World War II and that "no attempts should be made to revive" the ideologies of fascism and militarism, the ministry said.

Last week, Battsetseg met with her Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi during her visit to Japan. The two sides agreed to further strengthen their "special strategic partnership" to promote peace and prosperity in the region, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Mongolia, a strategically important landlocked nation between China and Russia, aims to maintain favorable ties with both Japan and China.

In what is seen as a veiled criticism of Japan, Beijing has expressed its opposition to "militarism" during recent summits or other high-level meetings with Russia, Pakistan and North Korea -- three countries that are friendly to China.

Escalating Sino-Japanese tensions stem from comments by Takaichi, a security hawk, that were interpreted as suggesting Japan could deploy its defense forces to support the United States if Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island, came under attack by mainland China.

In the talks with Battsetseg, Wang said he appreciated Mongolia's opposition to any form of "Taiwan independence," according to the Chinese ministry.

© KYODO