Name: Japan proposes record defense budget
Uploaded: 2025-12-26T15:39:06.104Z
Duration: 2 min 23 s
Description: Japan has become the latest of Washington’s Asian partners to approve record defense spending for 20-26. The budget comes as tensions are escalating with China, after Japan’s Prime Minister suggested her country might intervene militarily if Taiwan is invaded.

Japan has become the latest of Washington’s Asian partners to approve record defense spending for 20-26. The budget comes as tensions are escalating with China, after Japan’s Prime Minister suggested her country might intervene militarily if Taiwan is invaded.

Tokyo

Japan has proposed a $58 billion military budget for 2026, marking its largest defense allocation to date. The proposal follows increased patrols by Russian and Chinese planes near Japan and reflects a broader regional trend of rising military spending.

Other countries in the region, such as Taiwan and South Korea, are also increasing their defense budgets in response to escalating security concerns. The initiatives include new weapons systems and, in South Korea's case, plans for nuclear-powered submarines, amid ongoing debates about security alliances and nuclear policy.

Japan proposes record defense budget

Russian and Chinese planes patrolling near Japan this month. Japan scrambled jets but wants more long-range drones capable of surveillance and intercepting flybys like this. Which is why, on Friday, Japan proposed a $58 billion military budget for 2026, its largest on record. We're continuing to increase the budget for important policies such as strengthening defence capabilities. The Prime Minister's defence drive is controversial at home, given Japan's pacifist constitution which technically bans a standing army, but is backed by US President Donald Trump. I'm going to go down as one of the great Prime Ministers you watch. Japan is not alone in this defence-spending spree. This year, Taiwan's military budget was a record high, set to increase in 2026 if Parliament approves. It's also seeking an additional $40 billion spread over eight years to buy weapons and build a missile defence shield called the Taiwan Dome. China's threats to Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region are escalating. Parties, including South Korea, which plans to spend about $46 billion on defence next year, a 7.5% increase on 2025. South Korea also plans to build its first nuclear-powered submarines, after recent approval by US President Donald Trump. The US maintains wartime operational control of South Korean forces, including the types of weapons Seoul can possess. The US has also lifted a restriction on South Korea enriching uranium and separating plutonium, essential for powering the new submarines, but also key to making nuclear weapons. South Korea's president says his country has no plan to build a nuclear weapon amid what has become an arms race across the region, triggered by concerns ranging from China and North Korea to questions over the dependability of their most powerful traditional ally, the United States. Jack Barton, Al Jazeera, Seoul.

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