Japan seeks to counter China with biggest military spending increase in eight years

Japan has identified China as its main national security threat, pointing in a July policy paper to a ‘sense of crisis’ over Beijing’s threat to Taiwan

The defence ministry’s budget proposal seeks an increase in military spending to a record US$49.88 billion, for the year starting April 1

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A Japanese soldier trains during a joint military drill with French and US forces in Japan’s Miyazaki prefecture in May. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:43pm, 31 Aug 2021Updated: 8:54pm, 31 Aug 2021

Japan’s defence ministry is seeking an annual budget increase that will add to past years’ hikes to expand military spending over a decade by almost one-sixth, as it looks to counter the growing strength of neighbouring China.

Since last year, Japan has identified China as its main national security threat, pointing in a July policy paper to a “sense of crisis” over Beijing’s threat to Taiwan, which lies close to Japanese islands along the edge of the East China Sea.

The ministry’s budget proposal, released on Tuesday, seeks an increase of 2.6 per cent in spending, to a record 5.48 trillion yen ($49.88 billion), for the year starting April 1.

US and Japanese coastguard vessels pictured patrolling together in the East China Sea earlier this month. Photo: US coastguard via AP

Finance ministry officials will review, and could amend, the request before sending it to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s cabinet for approval.

However, Japan’s defence spending increases are not enough to keep pace with China’s expanding military budget, which will increase 6.8 per cent next year and is already about four times more than Japan’s, and second only to the United States in size.