China military rise could threaten Japan economy, PM Suga warns

Yoshihide Suga, Japan's prime minister, speaks during an interview in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. - Bloomberg

TOKYO (Bloomberg): China’s rapidly growing military influence and unilateral changing of the status quo could present a risk to Japan, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in an interview with Bloomberg, ahead of the first Quad summit.

"The changing power balance brought by the rise of China in the Indo-Pacific, along with the increasing inward focus spurred by the pandemic have increased uncertainty,” Suga said before the first in-person leaders’ meeting of Quad nations US, Australia, India and Japan, which is to be held on Friday (Sept 24) at the White House.