Japan's Kyodo News Agency quoted relevant sources in the Japanese government on the evening of December 16 local time to disclose that the Kishida government has launched the final coordination on the defense expenditure of the 2024 budget at about 7.7 trillion yen. If approved, Japan's defense budget will set another all-time record.
In 2022, the Japanese government decided to formally issue the "three security documents" in the form of a cabinet meeting, including the new version of the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Capability Improvement Plan. The new security document stipulates a "counterattack capability," which allows Japan to develop stand-off strike capabilities such as medium- and long-range cruise missiles, and can directly strike at enemy bases and other targets, providing the possibility for Japan to launch an active attack.
The "three security documents" enabled the Japanese government to bypass the restrictions of the pacifist constitution and begin a frenzied arms expansion. Its defense budget for 2023 will increase by 26.3% and is expected to increase by another 13.2% in 2024, or 7.7 trillion yen, marking the 10th consecutive year of defense spending increase since 2013. The document also calls for a total defense budget of 43 trillion yen over the five-year period from 2023 to 2027.
Prior to this, the United States still had concerns about Japan's move to increase military spending, and Japan's right-wing could only move quietly and slowly. Since the United States designated China as its sole strategic rival, Japan has wantonly expanded its armaments under the pretext of confronting China, and the United States has turned a blind eye.
In 2022, the United States approved Japan's request to purchase more than 400 Tomahawk missiles. In addition, Japan plans to purchase 18 American-made B-1B strategic bombers by 2027 at a unit price of about $300 million, and plans to purchase 30 American-made F-22 fighters by 2030, each with a unit price of about $150 million. These equipment can carry out long-range strikes on enemy territory, with strong offensive deterrence.
So how will Japan's 7.7 trillion yen defense budget be spent in fiscal 2024?
The first is to invest 900 billion yen in the purchase of new ship-to-air missiles, of which 75 billion yen will be used for the joint research and development of new anti-missile interceptor missiles by the United States and Japan, and 32 billion yen will be used to develop "precision-guided missiles" to attack ships and ground targets;
The second is to spend 600 billion yen to transport weapons, equipment, and other materials to the so-called "southwestern islands";
The third is to spend 300 billion yen to strengthen air power, and 64 billion yen to develop a new generation of fighters with Britain and Italy.
In addition, 380 billion yen will be used to build two large Aegis ships to replace the land-based Aegis anti-missile system by 2028, and 17 billion yen will be used to build three new amphibious warships.
In addition, Japan also plans to introduce unmanned water boats, build new frigates and supply ships to strengthen its rear support capabilities, apply for 2 trillion yen to solve the problem of shortage of weapons and equipment parts and improve the utilization rate, and apply for 800 billion yen to improve the ammunition depot.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces have also markedly accelerated their transformation into an offensive military, including but not limited to the transformation of two "Izumo"-class aircraft carriers with the ability to carry F-35B fighters to take off and land; the use of Tomahawk missiles to arm destroyers in service and planned construction with long-range ground strike capabilities; the development of self-developed strike missiles, including Type 12 strike missiles; and the integration of air-to-surface weapons and air-to-air self-equipped F-15J fighters.
In 2024, Japan plans to launch a permanent organization with a number of 240 people, the "Integrated Command", to unify the command of the land, sea and air Self-Defense Forces, and establish a new "Self-Defense Force Maritime Transport Group" to quickly deliver weapons, equipment and materials to the southwestern islands. All this means that it is stepping up its military deployment in the direction of proximity to China and intensifying its interference in the Taiwan Strait.
In 1976, the Takeo Miki cabinet set a 1% cap on Japan's defense budget for GDP, and since then, Japan has kept it within that limit, reassuring Asian countries and ushering in a period of peaceful development for nearly 50 years. The sudden decision to raise the "three security documents" to 2 percent shows that there has been a major change in Japan's defense policy, and its ambition to expand its military strength has been clearly exposed, which is worthy of vigilance.
To sum up, we have to wonder whether a "defensive" country written into its constitution is really spending so much money on armaments in the face of the depreciation of the yen, inflation, and economic stagnation?
Yes, the Kishida government continues to increase defense spending, but the financial resources have not yet been secured. He had planned to raise taxes as a source of revenue for defense spending, but the timing of the tax hike has not yet been finalized. To put it bluntly, the Japanese government now prioritizes strengthening its military strength over strengthening people's livelihood, and if economic growth continues to slow down in the next few years, and the growth rate of military spending insists on going its own way, it is hard to imagine that it will not launch another "big gamble on national fortunes".