Japan will rush military spending to strengthen air and sea defenses, Reuters said

Author: Tim Kelly

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan expects to add $ 6.75 billion to annual military spending in a hurry to strengthen air and naval defenses as it worries about threats posed by China and North Korea.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government approved the spending within a supplementary budget on Friday. While such increases in defense spending are common, it is the highest amount of 774 billion yen ever approved by lawmakers, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

“As the security environment around Japan deteriorates at an unprecedented rate, our urgent task is to speed up the implementation of various projects,” the Defense Ministry said in its spending proposal.

The money injection will allow Japan, three months earlier than planned, to upgrade surface-to-air missile launchers on islands off the East China Sea and the latest line of defense against North Korean warheads entering Patriot PAC-3 missiles elsewhere. .

China’s growing pressure on Taiwan is causing concern in Japan, as Beijing’s control of the island would lead Chinese forces about 100 kilometers from its territory and threaten Japan’s main maritime trade routes that supply oil and other goods. It would also provide China with the basis for unhindered access to the western Pacific.

The additional spending will allow Japan to acquire submarine missiles, naval patrol aircraft and military cargo aircraft more quickly, the Defense Ministry said.

The additional military spending comes after the Kishida government party’s goal of nearly doubling defense spending in October to nearly 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) was included in the election promises.

For decades, the pacifist nation has maintained its policy of keeping defense spending at 1% of GDP to alleviate concerns about the resurgence of militarism that led Japan to World War II.

The additional spending plan approved by the Kishida government on Friday pays defense contractors in advance for equipment to help deal with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic that has damaged their finances.

The proposed additional expenditure combined with the defense expenditure approved for March 31 is about 1.3% of Japan’s GDP.

($ 1 = 114.6300 yen)