Not surprisingly, a far-right political figure, foreign media have focused on Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae's first policy statement at the Diet, where strengthening national defense and increasing military spending were set as top priorities.
In her first major policy speech on Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae pledged to further accelerate Japan's military construction and spending, and to complete the upgrading of the national security strategy as soon as possible amid tense relations with China, North Korea, and Russia.
Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae took office on Tuesday, becoming Japan's first female leader. This ended months of political vacuum following consecutive election losses by her party, which led to the ruling coalition losing its majority in both houses of parliament.
Takahashi said that her government will achieve the target of allocating 2% of GDP to military spending by March, rather than the originally planned 2027. She also stated that she would revise the security strategy ahead of schedule and complete it by the end of 2026. Japan has historically revised its security strategy approximately every ten years, with the last revision taking place in December 2022.
Takahashi said that due to changes in the security environment, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, Japan will upgrade its strategy ahead of schedule. In her speech to the parliament, Takahashi said, "The free, open, and stable international order we are used to has been severely shaken by historic changes in the balance of power and increasingly fierce geopolitical competition. Military actions and other activities by China, North Korea, and Russia in the region are deeply worrying."
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1846868664055872/
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