Japan to raise defence budget to counter China's expansionist plan

Tokyo/Beijing – Japan once again proposed increasing their defence budget to counter sustained expansionist activities of China for a few years. Japan’s defence ministry has proposed an increased defence budget of $50 billion for 2022. The Defence Ministry explained increased funding is needed for advanced F-35 fighter jets, modernization of destroyers and space security.

Over the past few months, China has stepped up its hegemony in the Indo-Pacific region, including the South China Sea. The ambition is to gain complete control of the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Chinese planes, warships and patrol boats are constantly hitting the East China Sea, a part of Japan’s maritime border, trying to change the ‘Status Quo’. Japan has taken this seriously and has begun vigorous preparations to respond to China’s actions.

Last year, Japan referred to China as a ‘security threat’ in its defence policy. A white paper published this year highlights China as a threat to Taiwan’s security and stability. Against this background, the proposal to increase defence spending is significant. If the Japanese government approves the proposed budget, this will be the tenth consecutive year that the defence spending increases. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began raising defence spending in 2012 after assuming power. Under his leadership, Japan increased its defence spending for eight successive years to support an aggressive defence policy.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who took over after Abe, has maintained the same policy and increased defence spending this year. The policy is expected to continue for the next year, as per the sources.

As per Japanese defence sources, a 2.6% higher defence budget has been proposed over last year. The defence ministry said that the funds would be used to purchase ‘F-35’ aircraft from the United States, a “laser” system for space security, satellites, second squadron of the Space Operations Group and indigenously built fighter jets. The proposal also covers aircraft carriers, state-of-the-art missiles, and radar systems.