Anti-aircraft artilleries at a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on Sept. 3, 2015 in Beijing, China.
"Because of that increase in military activity we cannot discount the possibility of heightened tensions," Japan said for the first time in its annual Defense White Paper.
With its westernmost island only 68 miles from Taiwan, Japan hosts more than 50,000 American troops, hundreds of U.S. military aircraft, and an aircraft carrier strike group that Washington could deploy to defend Taiwan.
Japan's 548-page assessment also highlighted China's plans to double its nuclear arsenal to more than 1,000 warheads by 2030.
It mentioned attempts by neighboring North Korea to boost its nuclear strike capability with surveillance satellites and new, more advanced missiles, some with sufficient range to strike the United States.
Persons:
Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong
Organizations:
NATO, Taiwan, North
Locations:
Beijing, China, Japan, Taiwan, readying, North Korea, Russia, U.S, Washington, Ukraine, Europe, United States, Moscow, Pyongyang