Summary
Japan's Cabinet approved a defense budget of over 9 trillion yen, aiming to strengthen its military in response to rising tensions with China. The budget is part of Japan's plan to increase military spending to 2% of its GDP, focusing on enhancing its missile and drone capabilities for coastal defense. The decision comes amid concerns about China's military activities and Japan's strategic challenges in the region.
Key Facts
- Japan's defense budget for fiscal 2026 exceeds 9 trillion yen ($58 billion).
- The budget is up 9.4% from the previous year and is part of a plan to double defense spending to 2% of GDP.
- Japan plans to enhance its strike-back capability with long-range missiles and drones.
- The budget allocates 970 billion yen ($6.2 billion) to increase missile capabilities.
- A new "SHIELD" system will deploy unmanned drones for surveillance and defense by March 2028.
- Japan's military strategy shift includes the use of offensive weapons, a change from its post-World War II policy.
- China is identified as Japan's biggest strategic challenge in its security strategy.
- Increased tensions with China have been linked to actions near Taiwan and the East China Sea.
