Tokyo may make parts of its defense guidelines secret in the wake of China, Russia “threats,” Kyodo News says
Japan is considering partially classifying its chief defense document in the wake of “security threats by China and Russia,” Kyodo News reported on Saturday, citing government sources.
Making the National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG), the country’s 10-year military buildup policy, secret would be in line with the mostly classified US National Defense Strategy and would allow Tokyo to be “more specific”Sources told Japanese news agency that contingency plans would be drawn up for North Korea. According to Kyodo News, the Tokyo government will examine the defense guidelines that are currently available and decide whether Japan is able to acquire counterstrikes against enemy bases.
The matter is a sensitive issue, given Japan’s defense-oriented constitution that explicitly renounces war.
“Having a document similar to the [US] National Defense Strategy is requisite,”A lawmaker representing the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was quoted saying.
On Wednesday, the LDP proposed revising Japan’s most important defense and diplomacy documents amid what it described as an “increasingly severe”Security environment They specifically asked the government for a better security environment. “counterstrike capabilities”Japanese media reported that Japan’s defense budget should be doubled to around 2% of the GDP.
According to the Japan Times, the party cited Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, and China’s military activities near Taiwan.
LDP wants to also update the National Security Strategy as well as the five-year medium-term military buildup plan. The proposals have been submitted to the country’s defense minister and prime minister.
Japan approved an increase in defense spending. The fiscal year 2022 defense budget will be 5.4 trillion yen (47.2 billion).
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