People’s Daily: It’s reported that earlier this week, the Japanese Cabinet adopted a new cybersecurity strategy, enabling the police and the Self-Defense Forces to take “active cyber defense” measures to respond to cyberattacks. In May this year, Japan enacted a law introducing the so-called active cyber defense, which makes clear that the Japanese government will preemptively infiltrate and destroy the cyber devices of so-called “threat actors.” What’s China’s comment?

Lin Jian: China is gravely concerned over Japan’s newly adopted cybersecurity strategy that enables “active cyber defense,” a major policy shift from cyber defense to offense. This is yet another case of Japan, a defeated belligerent of WWII, seeking to defy the postwar international order.

In recent years, Japan has drastically expanded its cyber forces. The term “active cyber defense” in Japan’s new strategy is simply designed to loosen restriction on active offense. Japan has more than once waged war of aggression against other countries in the name of responding to potential attacks. The Japanese side owes the world an explanation: Is the latest move a prelude to Japan’s attempts to once again break free from the international law and domestic laws and use self-defense as a pretext to launch preemptive “cyber aggression” as it once did in WWII?

The interconnectedness of cyberspace demands joint effort to ensure peace and stability in cyberspace. China firmly opposes Japan’s dangerous moves in the cyber domain, and calls on Japan to strictly abide by its pacifist Constitution and observe existing international rules and order. Any move that harms China’s sovereignty, security and development interests will be met with China’s firm response.