Japanese defence spending has traditionally been kept to about 1 per cent of GDPJapan’s ruling party is proposing to double the defence budget to about £86 billion, breaking restrictions imposed after the Second World War as fears grow of threats from China and Russia. The historic move would mean military spending rising to 2 per cent of GDP, the benchmark set by Nato members, and will be welcomed by Washington after two decades of US pressure. SponsoredThe Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Fumio Kishida, the prime minister, has governed Japan almost continuously since 1955. It cited the “crisis” caused by the war in Ukraine as a factor behind the decision, amid a backdrop of growing regional threats from China, Russia and North Korea. Fumio Kishida wants to meet the Nato defence spending benchmark of two per cent of GDP DAVID MAREUIL/APJapan has adopted a pacifist stance internationally but gradually loosened restrictions in

Source: The Times April 28, 2022 05:43 UTC