Japan is facing its most severe security environment since World War II as three potential adversaries in East Asia – China, Russia and North Korea – ramp up military activities in the region, the country’s defense minister said Tuesday.

The Japan Self-Defense Force has missed its recruitment goal for the last several years and is struggling to meet those goals amid rising tensions in the region.

TOKYO -- Japan cautioned against China’s rapid acceleration of military activity stretching from its southwestern coasts to the Pacific, describing the moves in a new defense report Tuesday as the biggest strategic challenge.

This demands a response rooted in 'comprehensive national power', the Defence Ministry said. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Japan cautioned against China’s rapid acceleration of military activity stretching from its southwestern coasts to the Pacific, describing the moves in a new defense report released yesterday as the biggest strategic challenge.

Officials in Tokyo released their Defense of Japan 2025 white paper this week with findings the international community is facing its greatest risk of conflict since World War II. The paper pointed to Russia,

The report highlighted a sharp rise in Chinese warship activity in the Pacific, especially near Japan's southwestern region. It noted that over the past three years, the number of Chinese naval transits near Taiwan and the Japanese island of Yonaguni has tripled.

A common theme running through these global developments is that rivals such as China seem to be faring better in dealing with Trump’s challenge to the global order than are traditional U.S. allies including Japan and European nations. Except for Britain, countries are often finding that the reward for being a loyal partner is a punch in the nose.

The top uniformed defense officials of Japan, the United States and South Korea have reaffirmed cooperation to address challenges posed by North Korea.