Japan Approves Record Defense Spending that Aims to Deter China Aggression
by Simon Kent
“If you want peace, prepare for war” is a Latin credo attributed to Roman writer Vegetius. Japan has heeded that advice, announcing Friday it has approved a record defense budget plan exceeding 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) for the coming year.
The spending aims to fortify Japan’s strike-back capability and coastal defense with cruise missiles and unmanned arsenals as tensions rise in the region, AP reports.
The draft budget for fiscal 2026 beginning April is up 9.4 percent from 2025 and marks the fourth year of Japan’s ongoing five-year program to double annual arms spending to two percent of gross domestic product.
The AP report notes the increase comes as Japan increasingly looks to the U.S. as it faces elevated aggression from Communist China.
Trump in Japan:
I’ve just approved the first batch of missiles… They’re the best in the world…
It’s the first batch of missiles to be delivered to the Japanese forces for Japan’s F-35s… they’re coming this week, ahead of schedule. pic.twitter.com/0ZGaxXnSv7
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 28, 2025
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November her country’s military could get involved if Beijing were to take action against in independent Taiwan, the self-governing island Beijing demands must come under its rule even though China’s Communist Party has never been in power there.
To that end it has also being building relations with allies across the Pacific region.