BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday voiced concern over Japan's rising defense spending.

"For historical reasons, it is reasonable for us to be seriously concerned over Japan's direction and real intentions," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at the daily press briefing.

Hua made the remarks after Japan's cabinet on Thursday approved a record97.45 trillion yen (830 billion U.S. dollars) budget for 2017, with the highest ever defense spending, 5.13 trillion yen (44 billion U.S. dollars).

The defense budget is up 1.4 percent on this year's figure, the fifth rise since Abe took office in 2012.

In recent years, Japan has kept sensationalizing "China Threat," and meanwhile increasing its military strength, said Hua.

"Even in Japan, some are questioning the budget," Hua said.

She said that Japan's Asian neighbors and the international community are closely watching whether Japan would truly learn a lesson from history and stick to a path of peaceful development.