North Korea still poses a “serious and imminent threat,” Tokyo said Tuesday in its first annual defense review since an outbreak of diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula. Japan’s 2018 defense white paper said on Tuesday that “there is no change in our basic recognition concerning the threat of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles.” Pyongyang continues to post “an unprecedentedly serious and imminent threat to Japan's security and significantly damages the peace and security of the region and the international community,” the document added. It also took aim at China’s rise as a military power, saying Beijing was sparking “strong security concerns in the region and international community, including Japan,” AFP reported.