 In September 2006, shortly after he was appointed Defense Minister, Kyūma stated that the Chinese military was a concern, contradicting earlier comments that he had made referring to China's military as a threat.In December 2006, Kyūma claimed that although former Prime Minister Jun'ichirō Koizumi supported the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the invasion did not have the official support of the Japanese government.He later had to withdraw his remarks, admitting that the Japanese "Cabinet officially adopted a unified view supporting the U.S.-led war."