Japan panel: Sweeping defense buildup, more costs unavoidable

By Associated Press

Nov 23, 2022 12:11 am

TOKYO: A Japanese government-commissioned panel said in a report to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that drastic defense buildup, including the use of preemptive strike, was 'indispensable' to counter growing threats in the region.

It called for the public's understanding to bear the financial burden for the defense of the country. Kishida's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) wants to double Japan's current defense budget to about 10 trillion ($70 billion) in the next five years.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) and former ambassador to the United States Kenichiro Sasae hold a copy of the report at the former’s office in the capital Tokyo on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. KYODO NEWS PHOTO VIA AP

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