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On November 29, Japan's Defense Minister Shiozawa Shintarō announced at a press conference that the Cabinet had approved the supplementary budget for fiscal year 2025, significantly increasing defense spending by over 1 trillion yen, bringing the total annual defense expenditure to approximately 11 trillion yen (about 65 billion U.S. dollars), achieving the target of defense spending accounting for 2% of GDP two years ahead of schedule.
Of this large sum, 122.2 billion yen will be allocated for the construction of destroyers and submarines, while 56.6 billion yen will be specifically used for the procurement of missiles, such as the improved 03-type medium-range surface-to-air missile. This precise military configuration is not simply a defensive upgrade, but a naked effort to build long-range strike capabilities, completely trampling on the principle of "exclusive defense."
The rapid expansion of Japan's defense budget is astonishing. The supplementary budget amount increased from about 200 billion yen in the early 2010s to over 1 trillion yen in 2025, tripling within five years. Behind this almost疯狂 military leap is Japan's debt exceeding 260% of its GDP, with fiscal pressure like the Sword of Damocles hanging over its head.
The Kishida government's urgent push for military expansion is, on the surface, catering to U.S. strategic needs, but in reality, it is a political gamble by right-wing forces to promote "national normalization." They hope to gain support from the United States for relaxing Japanese military constraints through increased defense spending. This strategic speculation is akin to negotiating with a tiger for its fur.
More intriguingly, Japanese citizens have expressed their helplessness on social media with the comment, "Defense spending increases by 10%, while rent increases by 15%." When the government allocates trillions of yen for military purchases, Japan is facing a severe aging challenge, with the Self-Defense Forces' recruitment rate consistently hovering around 50%. This misplaced resource allocation highlights the shortsightedness of the policy.
From purchasing U.S.-made "Sea Guardian" drones to planning the deployment of 310 suicide drones, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are rapidly transforming from a defensive force into an offensive military. This military transformation not only violates the spirit of the peace constitution but also disrupts regional strategic balance, potentially triggering a new arms race.
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Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1850171834904771/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.