Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday called for securing funding to transform the country’s defense capabilities within five years, citing moves by other nations to raise defense spending to as much as 3.5 percent of gross domestic product. The proposal stopped short of setting a specific spending target for Japan. Instead, it cited defense spending goals of 3.5 percent of GDP among NATO members and South Korea and 3 percent in Australia, urging Japan to demonstrate a clear commitment to self-defense.
The United States has urged its security partners publicly or behind the scenes to expand defense spending. The move comes as Japan accelerates its defense buildup in response to a worsening security environment in East Asia, including China’s military assertiveness and North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. The Japanese government in 2022 adopted a national security strategy calling for defense spending to reach 2 percent of GDP and for the acquisition of counterstrike capabilities, in a major policy shift under the pacifist postwar Constitution.
The LDP’s proposal is expected to be submitted to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi later this month as part of preparations to revise Japan’s national security strategy and related defense documents. The government plans to adopt the updated policies in December, following recommendations from a panel of experts expected this fall.
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/LDP-seeks-defense-funding-boost-citing-3.5-GDP-benchmark
