Japanese Prime Minister Kishida orders an increase in defense spending to 2% of GDP

Recently, Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister of Japan, gave orders to increase national security spending to 2% of GDP by 2027. It’s worth noting that the exact figures for the increase were announced for the first time. The Minister of Defense and the Minister of Finance will lead the implementation of the plan.

During a talk with reporters on Tuesday, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said that the government is already preparing a budget in light of the prime minister's order. He also noted that some details are still under discussion.

Japan is known to limit its spending on national security to no more than 1% of GDP, that is, 5 trillion yen ($36 billion). This is because the country relies on the protection provided by the United States.

However, Kyodo News and other local media fear that Kishida's decision may not produce the desired results. The country's updated budget will contain parts such as scientific research, which weren’t previously part of the spending plan.