TOKYO, Jun 14 (NNN-NHK) – The ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) policy chief, Sanae Takaichi, called for Japan’s annual defence budget to be doubled, to cater for increased outlays related to space and cybersecurity, local media reported yesterday.
Takaichi, known for her rightwing, hawkish views and close ties with former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, made the remarks the previous day, on a TV show, with her comments following those previously made by Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, who vowed to secure a “substantial increase” in the budget, amid perceived regional threats.
“If we accumulate what’s needed, the budget would total 10 trillion yen (74 billion U.S. dollars),” Takaichi said, and recommended it be financed by the issuance of government bonds.
Japan’s defence allocation for fiscal 2022 is already at a record 5.4 trillion yen, however, under the pretext of growing insecurity in the region, the ruling LDP has been calling on Kishida to double the figure, and break the one percent GDP cap.
“We need to conduct substantial research and development in the fields of space, electromagnetic waves and cybersecurity,” Takaichi said.
“Setting the target of two percent or more of the GDP, is intended at showcasing Japan’s strong determination to the world, and the defence budget should be secured by expanding the Japanese economy, rather than through cutting other expenditures,” she said.
Kishida announced his intention to notably raise Japan’s defence budget at a meeting with U.S. President, Joe Biden, in late May, so as to bolster Japan’s defence abilities and cooperation with the United States.
The LDP has been calling for the defence budget to be significantly increased and for the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) to controversially acquire the ability of counter-strike and knocking-out enemy weapons and missile sites.– NNN-NHK
