Japan plans to add $6.75bn to defence budget after PM Kishida vows to counter China threat

In a bid to bolster air and maritime security against threats from North Korea, China and Russia, the Japan cabinet has approved an additional $6.7 billion to the military budget in the fiscal year 2021. The supplementary budget outlay, included US Forces realignment and related expenses for mitigating impacts on local communities. The record figure for defence appropriations, if approved by the parliament, will be the first in the history of Japan's extra monetary allotment in the budget, The Diplomat reported.

This week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the administration is considering “all options” in order to increase its defence power amid growing threats from China and North Korea, reported AP. In his first troop review speech, Kishida reiterated his commitment to the acquisition of enemy base strike capability. He promised to boost self-defence force to protect the country. “I will consider all options, including possessing so-called enemy base strike capability, to pursue strengthening of defence power that is necessary,” he said.

The  additional allotment

The additional allotment combines with the nation's highest-ever 5.34 trillion yen initial budget for the fiscal year 2021, which started in April 2021. As per The Diplomat, the total budget for the current fiscal year has surpassed 6 trillion yen for the first time. Moreover, the budget will also top the long-standing cap by just 1% of gross domestic product (GDP), keeping the customary cap.

The extra defence budget through March will help expedite the purchase of missiles, anti-submarine-rockets and other weapons amid rising tensions over the aggressive behaviour of Beijing in the Indo-Pacific region and ballistic missile tests by North Korea. Additionally, at least 97 billion yen from the allotment has been earmarked for enhancing the country's integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) system. The budget reflects Japan's aim "to bolster its own national defense capabilities to further strengthen the US-Japan alliance and regional security,” as vowed by former Japanese PM Suga Yoshihide and U.S. President Joe Biden in their April summit in Washington, D.C., The Diplomat reported.

“The security environment surrounding Japan has been rapidly changing at an unprecedented speed. Things that used to happen only in science-fiction novels are today's reality,” Japanese PM Fumio Kishida said, as per the Associated Press.

As per The Diplomat, around 44.1 billion yen is allocated to purchase Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) Missiles and related support equipment. Another 10.3 billion yen has also been secured to acquire surface-to-air projectiles, called KBSAM in order to protect Japanese Self-Defence Forces (JSDF) bases from attacks. 

PM Kishida raises concern over human rights issues in China

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed strong concern over human rights issues in China. Speaking at the 13th ASEM Summit of leaders from about 50 Asian and European countries virtually, on Friday, he voiced concerns about the instances of human rights abuse in Hong Kong as well as in China's Xinjiang province. Criticising China's military build-up in the South China Sea, PM Kishida asserted his strong opposition to Beijing's unilateral attempts to change the status quo along the region, Kyodo News reported.

(Image: Representative AP/Unsplash)