People protest against a tax hike plan for higher defense spending in front of the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Japan December 16, 2022, in this photo by taken by Kyodo via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. JAPAN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN JAPAN
Allowing its armed forces to acquire what it called “counterstrike capability,” Japan on Friday adopted an updated version of its national security strategy.
The updated three key security and defense documents allow Japan’s armed forces to “acquire the capability to strike targets in enemy territory to deter attacks, called ‘counterstrike capability’,” Kyodo News reported.
It also authorizes the government to “allocate about 43 trillion yen (approximately $315 billion) for defense budgets over five years from fiscal 2023.”
Japan will also “retain exclusively defense-oriented security policy” besides considering “reviewing strict guidelines on exporting defense equipment.”
The new national security strategy views China as the “greatest strategic challenge,” and calls North Korea a “graver, more imminent threat than before” and Russia a “serious security concern.”