Japan's Cabinet approves record defense budget aiming to deter China as tensions grow
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.
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