Can Japan afford Suga’s military spending promise to Biden?

Prior to Suga’s trip to the US, Tokyo had already approved a record US$51 billion defence budget to buy stealth fighters, missile systems and warships

Any further spending will be difficult in a stalling, Covid-hit economy, analysts say, even though the public is wary of China’s growing clout

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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga with US President Joe Biden in the Rose Garden of the White House. Photo: AP

Published: 5:30pm, 19 Apr 2021Updated: 5:50pm, 19 Apr 2021

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga agreed to upgrade Japan’s military capabilities during discussions with US President Joe Biden in Washington on Friday, although analysts point out that Tokyo has already committed itself to a number of “big ticket” military projects and may not be able to afford a bigger defence spending spree.

Japan’s commitment was outlined in the joint statement issued after the two leaders’ meeting in the United States and was designed to demonstrate their shared determination to stand firm in the face of growing Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.

In late December, the Japanese government approved a record defence budget amounting to 5.34 trillion yen (US$51.7 billion) for financial year 2021, which included the purchase of new stealth fighter jets, enhanced missile defence systems and more warships.

Analysts said this increase might already have been factored into Suga’s promise of greater spending.

“It would be difficult to have a dramatic increase in the defence budget, in large part due to the current economic situation in Japan because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic,” a Ministry of Defence analyst said.

Japanese F-15J Eagle fighter aircraft at Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido prefecture. Photo: AFP

“On the other hand,” he added, “There is growing support for greater defence outlays from a public that is increasingly worried about the assertiveness of China.”