Japan asserts right to self-determination of defense budget

(CLO) Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba affirmed that Japan's defense budget is decided by the country itself, not based on requests from other countries.

"Japan decides its own defense budget. It should not be decided based on what other countries ask it to do," Ishiba told parliament on Wednesday.

The statement came after Elbridge Colby, the Trump administration's nominee for the Pentagon's top policy position, called on Japan to increase military spending to address regional security concerns.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Photo: X/shigeruishiba

In 2022, Japan announced a military buildup plan worth 43 trillion yen ($287.09 billion) over five years, raising the defense budget to about 2% of GDP to counter China, Russia and North Korea.

However, Mr. Colby said that this figure is still not enough and Japan should spend at least 3% of GDP on defense "as soon as possible", while speeding up the process of military reform to strengthen defense capabilities.

The Japanese government disputes this view, stressing that its defense strategy focuses on quality rather than budget size.

"What we believe is important is the nature of defense capabilities, not the volume or GDP ratio," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press conference.

Mr. Colby has also previously criticized Taiwan and Japan for being slow to respond to increased military spending.

Ngoc Anh (according to Kyodo, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nhat-ban-khang-dinh-quyen-tu-quyet-ngan-sach-quoc-phong-post337159.html