On Tuesday, August 4, the Japanese government approved and released the “Defense White Paper 2026” during a Cabinet meeting. Continuing from last year’s statement, it positions the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as Japan’s “unprecedented and greatest strategic challenge,” highlighting the deepening strategic cooperation between China and Russia in recent years, with increasingly frequent joint military actions.
Moreover, this year’s white paper includes a new chapter on “New Forms of Warfare,” emphasizing artificial intelligence (AI), drones, space, cyber warfare, and cognitive operations as key focuses for future defense construction. It also states that Japan will expedite the enhancement of defense capabilities, deepen cooperation with the United States and like-minded countries, and strengthen defense industry and advanced technology deployment.
Building upon the evaluation from 2025, the white paper asserts that the CCP’s military trends remain Japan’s “unprecedented and greatest strategic challenge,” a matter of significant international concern. The report notes that China has significantly increased defense spending in recent years, accelerating the development of nuclear weapons, missiles, naval and air forces, and enhancing its capabilities for far-sea operations.
Specifically mentioned in the report is an incident from June 2025, where China’s aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong simultaneously entered the Pacific Ocean for training, conducting carrier-based aircraft take-off and landing exercises, drawing high international attention. In November of the same year, China’s third aircraft carrier, Fujian, was officially commissioned, demonstrating China’s continuous efforts to enhance its ability to conduct joint sea and air operations far from its shores.
Regarding the Taiwan Strait situation, the white paper highlights China’s ongoing large-scale military exercises in the airspace and waters around Taiwan in an attempt to shape “facts on the ground” and improve combat readiness.
The white paper emphasizes the continuous deterioration of Japan’s surrounding security environment, with China and Russia expanding joint military activities in recent years, indicating deepening strategic cooperation. It cites examples of joint strategic bomber cruises conducted by China and Russia since 2019. In December 2025, Chinese H-6 bombers and Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers flew together over the Pacific Ocean off Shikoku, Japan, followed by a repeat engagement in June 2026 in the same area.
At sea, joint naval operations by China and Russia have expanded their operational range from nearby waters to the Western Pacific, the Sea of Okhotsk, and beyond the second island chain. In August 2025, both fleets were engaged in joint sailing exercises in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Western Pacific, and the East China Sea, with submarines participating for the first time. In June 2026, four Chinese and Russian warships conducted live-fire drills near Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near Oki-no-Tori Island at the southernmost tip of Japan, then sailed north along the Pacific coast of Japan, eventually circumnavigating the Japanese archipelago by passing through the Tsugaru Strait in the waters off Hokkaido.
The report underlines Japan’s view that it is essential to closely monitor China and Russia’s strategic cooperation. Additionally, it expresses concerns about the continued deepening of cooperation between Russia and North Korea, suggesting that Russia may provide military support to North Korea in exchange for nuclear and missile technology, requiring heightened vigilance against such developments.
Compared to previous years, this year’s white paper adds a dedicated chapter on “New Forms of Warfare,” with a primary focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a case study, analyzing the impact of emerging warfare modes like low-cost drones, AI-assisted decision-making, information warfare, false information tactics, as well as space, cyber, and electromagnetic warfare on modern battlefields. It notes that countries worldwide are accelerating the development of relevant capabilities to enhance sustainable and comprehensive combat abilities.
The Japanese government is currently working on revising the Three National Security Documents – the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Capability Development Plan – by the end of the year. These revisions will consider changes in the security environment in recent years and the development of new forms of warfare, comprehensively reviewing related security policies.
The white paper asserts that Japan will continue to rely on the Japan-U.S. alliance as the core of its security, deepen defense cooperation with countries like Australia, India, and NATO Indo-Pacific partners sharing similar principles, and enhance overall deterrence capabilities through joint training, equipment sharing, and industrial cooperation.
In April of this year, the Japanese government revised the Implementation Guidelines for the Three Principles on Defense Equipment Transfer, further relaxing restrictions on defense equipment exports. It aims to enhance mutual support capabilities by sharing equipment, production, and maintenance systems with allies, while also strengthening Japan’s defense industry and technological foundation. The white paper points out that defense production and technological capabilities are “themselves a form of defense,” and it aims to involve more companies and startups in the development of the defense industry.
With a theme of “Moving toward Future Security,” the “Defense White Paper 2026” spans approximately 598 pages, being the longest edition ever published. It serves as an important reference for the Japanese government’s future assessment of security policies.
The white paper recognizes that Japan is facing its most severe security environment since World War II, necessitating a comprehensive enhancement of national strength in diplomacy, defense, economic security, technology, and information to tackle rapidly evolving security challenges.
As the official annual national defense assessment document released by the Japanese government, the “Defense White Paper” primarily analyzes global and regional security situations, defense policies, and the direction of Self-Defense Force development, serving as a crucial reference for Japan’s formulation of national security policies.