TOKYO – Japan comes up with a new national security strategy moving toward the biggest military buildup since the second global war to tackle threats from China and North Korea.
Documents outlining the strategy shift get the final nod from the cabinet as the Japanese government expressed concerns that Moscow has set a precedent that will be followed by China to attack Taiwan, menacing nearby Japanese islands.
With plans to develop robust counterstrike capability, Japan has decided to stockpile spare parts and other munitions, develop cyber-warfare capabilities, and to further deepen defense ties with the US.
The country’s security expenditure will increase from 1 percent of GDP to 2 percent in the next five years and it would be the world’s third-biggest spender on defense after Washington and Beijing.
The latest weapons will be developed under a new strategy that can strike enemy targets 1,000km away, reports said as the country will now get around 500 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
North Korea launches another ballistic missile over Japan amid rising tension
As some nations lament Japan’s aggressive strategy, the US hailed the move, saying Tokyo’s goal to increase defense investments would strengthen and modernize the alliance between the two sides.
