According to press reports, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has urged China not to provoke its neighbors or seek territorial expansion, saying that any Chinese military adventure could be “suicidal”.

Abe, who stepped down as premier last year but is still influential as head of the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, made the comment in a video message at a security forum.

“An adventure in military affairs, if pursued by such a huge economy like China’s, could be suicidal to say the least,” Abe said on Tuesday.

“We must urge them not to pursue territorial expansion and restrain from provoking, often bullying, their neighbors because it should harm their own interests.”

China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, where it has established military outposts on artificial islands.

That claim has been declared as without legal basis by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague – a ruling that China has refused to recognize.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea.

Readers Bureau, Contributor

Edited by Jesus Chan

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