Japan will double its defense spending in the next five years, according to a policy roadmap released June 7. The document cited the need to increase defense capabilities and maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait, where Beijing has increased its military presence.
The Japanese Cabinet approved the annual fiscal and economic policy roadmap, the first such policy guidelines released under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration.
The guidelines state that Japan will increase defense spending to 2 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), referring to the commitment made by members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Japan currently spends just over 1 percent of its GDP on defense….