Japan will add $6.75 billion (BRL 37.7 billion) to the country’s record-breaking annual military spending, in a rush to bolster its air and maritime defenses as fears over the threats posed by China and North Korea to Japanese people grow.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government approved the extra budget on Friday (26) as part of a supplementary budget, and while increases in defense spending are common, the 774 billion yen represents the largest amount for the sector in history, according to the ministry. of the Defense of Japan.
“As the security situation around Japan worsens at an unprecedented rate, our urgent task is to accelerate the implementation of several projects,” the portfolio said on the spending proposal.
The cash injection will allow Japan, three months ahead of schedule, to upgrade its surface-to-air missile launchers on islands off the East China Sea and Patriot PAC-3 missile batteries elsewhere, the last line of defense against any North Korean warhead.
China’s growing pressure on Taiwan also makes Tokyo nervous because Beijing’s control of the island would push Chinese forces within 100 kilometers of its territory and threaten the main maritime trade routes that supply Japan with oil and other products. It would also give Beijing bases for unrestricted access to the western Pacific.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the extra spending will also allow Japan to more quickly acquire anti-submarine missiles, maritime patrol planes and cargo aircraft. The decision to increase the budget comes after Kishida’s party included a target in October’s election pledges to nearly double defense spending to 2% of GDP.
For decades, the peaceful nation has kept area spending as low as 1% of GDP, alleviating internal and external concerns about any resurgence of militarism that led the country into World War II.
The extra spending plan approved by the Kishida government on Friday also includes prepayments to defense equipment suppliers, in an attempt to help them deal with disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic that have affected their finances. The plan’s funding, combined with approved defense spending for the year through March 31, comes to about 1.3% of Japanese GDP.
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