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Japan claims China poses 'considerable' military threat (Filed: 23/12/2005) Japan's new foreign minister has awakened an old feud with China by attacking its lack of transparency and describing its increased military spending as a "threat". Taro Aso said: "It's a neighbouring country with nuclear bombs, and its military expenditure has been on the rise for 12 years. It's beginning to pose a considerable threat." Mr Aso's words drew an angry response from China, which has itself attacked Japan for its "militarism". A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said: "As a foreign minister, to so irresponsibly incite such groundless rhetoric...