China is lashing out at Japan's plans to install a cutting-edge U.S. military radar system to monitor North Korean missile launches.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Monday that the threat of North Korean missiles was merely being used as a pretext for setting up the X-band radar system, which he said would negatively affect the world's strategic balance.
Hong said the move was not conducive to nonproliferation and regional stability.
Beijing has issued months of angry rhetoric and frozen high-level contacts with Japan following Tokyo's nationalization last year of islands claimed by China.
China also is highly critical of the U.S.-Japan military alliance along with Tokyo's moves to upgrade its military. The governor of Japan's Kyoto region endorsed the radar installation last week.