A top U.S military official on Friday praised Japan’s move to bolster its security, saying that having a “powerful” ally like Japan could help the United States deter threats posed by China and North Korea.
Japan sought to increase its defense budget for 2023 to a record 6.8 trillion yen ($50 billion), up 20 percent from the previous year. That includes 211.3 billion yen ($1.55 billion) for U.S.-made long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said that Japan’s military boost would aid in countering China, which has also increased its defense spending by 7.2 percent to 1.55 trillion yuan ($230 billion)….