"The tide has clearly turned in Japan," he added, when asked whether the public would back higher military spending. Kishida, who condemned China's action, has promised to increase defense spending "substantially" but has yet to say by how much and how fast. He has also declined to say whether Japan's militarization would be paid for by cuts to public spending elsewhere, or through borrowing or a combination of the two. China has increased defense spending about 20-fold since then and has hundreds of ballistic missiles able to strike targets, including ships, hundreds or thousands of kilometers away with much greater accuracy. "There is also the reality that China is a stronger military power now.

Source: The Guardian August 07, 2022 03:21 UTC