Japan¡¯s Defense Ministry is looking to follow through on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida¡¯s pledge to ¡°substantially increase¡± defense spending over five years, but experts say an initial budget request released Wednesday signals continued incremental hikes rather than dramatic increases.
The ministry said it is seeking ?5.59 trillion ($40 billion) in spending for the next fiscal year ¡ª a total that would exceed its record-high ?5.4 trillion budget, drawn up in fiscal 2022. The figure could also rise further, since funds for a number of projects ¡ª perhaps as many as 100, according to media reports ¡ª have not yet been specified.
But experts such as James Schoff, a former senior adviser for East Asia policy at the Pentagon, say that despite being a new high, the budget request ¡°reflects more continuity rather than a break from the past.¡±
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