Japan Rejects U.S. Demand to Increase Defense Budget
RSS/Xinhua
Published 2025 Mar 06 Thursday
Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has dismissed a U.S. request to boost Japan’s defense budget, asserting that Japan independently determines its military spending.
Speaking at a parliament session, Ishiba emphasized that Japan’s defense budget is a sovereign decision, not influenced by other countries, according to Kyodo News.
The statement follows Elbridge Colby’s recommendation—a nominee for Undersecretary of Defense for Policy under the Trump administration—that Japan should raise its defense spending to 3% of its GDP.
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi reaffirmed at a press conference that Japan is on track to increase defense-related spending to 2% of GDP by fiscal 2027, as per the 2022 National Security Strategy.
Hayashi stressed that the focus should be on enhancing defense capabilities rather than merely increasing budget figures.
Japan has historically maintained an informal defense spending cap of 1% of GDP, adhering to its pacifist Constitution, but has committed to raising it to 2% by 2027 amid evolving global security concerns.
