TOKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government approved a ninth consecutive rise in military spending on Monday, funding the development of an advanced stealth fighter and longer-range anti-ship missile to counter China’s growing military power. The Ministry of Defense will get a record 5.34 trillion yen ($51.7 billion) for the year starting in April, up 1.1 percent from this year. With Suga’s large majority in parliament, enactment of the budget is all but certain. Suga is continuing the controversial military expansion pursued by his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, to give Japan’s forces new planes, missiles, and aircraft carriers with greater range and potency against potential foes including neighboring China. China plans to raise its military spending 6.6 percent this year, the smallest increase in three decades. Japan is buying longer-range missiles and considering arming and training its military to strike distant land targets in China, North Korea, and other parts of Asia. …