Japan Policy Chief Hits Back at US Call for 5% Defense Spending
Japan should focus on enhancing its defense capabilities, not chasing spending goals, the ruling party's policy chief said, following Trump administration calls for US allies to target higher military expenditure.
'Many people think you can build up your defense capabilities by just throwing money at it, but the reality isn't that simple,' the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Chief and former Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday. 'Warfare is evolving faster than expected, and Japan needs to transform the quality of its defense capabilities rather than just debating the amount of money it should spend.'
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