Japan's military spending set for 2.9pc rise as regional security fears grow
Equipment to help Tokyo defend disputed islands accounts for most of the 2.9pc increase
Japan's Defence Ministry is to ramp up its budget request for the next fiscal year by 2.9 per cent, a significant increase on this year's military spending and a reflection of Tokyo's concerns about the security of its borders.
The increase - a big leap from the 0.8 per cent rise in spending in the present fiscal year - will bring the budget request up to 4.893 trillion yen (HK$383 billion), according to sources quoted by the Asahi newspaper. It also signals a sharp departure from the declining defence outlays in the 10 years prior to the 2012 budget.
The majority of the increased spending is being earmarked for amphibious vehicles designed to put troops ashore on remote islands, as well as for additional transport ships for the Maritime Self-Defence Force.
This comes against the backdrop of the ongoing disagreement between Beijing and Tokyo over the sovereignty of the islands known as the Diaoyu chain in China and the Senkakus in Japan.
"Weapons systems are becoming ever more expensive and this increase will make it easier for the ministry to accommodate the procurement budget," said Jun Okumura, a visiting scholar at the Meiji Institute for Global Affairs.
"Inevitably, it comes in response to the increasing Chinese presence in waters and air space in the East China Sea that are near contested areas," Okumura said.