The Japanese Government Approves a Record Defense Budget Aimed at Deterring China

SadaNews - The Japanese government approved today (Friday) a plan for a record defense budget exceeding 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) for the upcoming year, aimed at enhancing its offensive capabilities and coastal defense with cruise missiles and drone arsenals, amid rising tensions in the region.

The draft budget for the fiscal year 2026, which begins in April, represents an increase of 9.4% compared to 2025 and marks the fourth year of the current five-year program for Japan to double its annual military spending to 2% of GDP.

This increase comes at a time when Japan is facing growing tensions from China.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takachi said in November that her country's military may intervene if China takes action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims should come under its rule.

The Takachi government, under U.S. pressure to increase military spending, has pledged to achieve the 2% target by March, two years earlier than planned. Japan also plans to revise its current security and defense policy by December 2026 to further strengthen its military.

Japan has enhanced its offensive capabilities with long-range missiles to strike enemy targets from a distance, marking a significant departure from the post-World War II principle that restricts the use of force to self-defense only.

The current security strategy, adopted in 2022, labels China as the largest strategic challenge to the country and calls for a more offensive role for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces under its security alliance with the United States.

The new budget plan allocates more than 970 billion yen ($6.2 billion) to enhance Japan's "long-range" missile capabilities. This includes the purchase of the domestically developed Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles worth 177 billion yen ($1.31 billion), which have a range of approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).

The first batch of Type 12 missiles will be deployed in Kumamoto Prefecture in southwest Japan by March, a year earlier than planned, as Japan accelerates the build-up of its missile capabilities in the region.

Due to an aging population, a declining number of people, and the military suffering from personnel shortages, the government believes that autonomous weapons are necessary.