Recently, Japan's Liberal Democratic Party has plans to significantly increase defense spending in order to strengthen defense capabilities, and initially plans to increase defense spending from 1% of GDP to more than 2%. The excuse given by Japan's Liberal Democratic Party is to compare the relevant standards of NATO countries.
As soon as the policy came out, it aroused the deep concern of public opinion at home and abroad, and everyone generally believed that Japan used the standards of NATO countries as an excuse to increase its defense expenditure, and there was a suspicion of stealing the concept.
Japan's defense costs have never exceeded 1% of GDP, setting a red line. 45 years ago, the cabinet of former Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki decided that the defense expenditure should not exceed 1% of the total GDP, and it has been followed by later cabinets. Since the formation of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, concerns about unlimited expansion of defense costs have led Japan to set another cap on this proportion.
Although the limit of 1% of defense expenditure was lifted during the Nakasone Yasuhiro cabinet, Japan has always adhered to the customary red line of 1% for defense expenditure for a number of reasons.
In the past 10 years, Japan's defense costs have basically been in a trend of nine consecutive rises, and seeing that the red line of 1% will touch the upper limit, the relevant Departments of Japan have begun to discuss the issue of breaking the restriction. As a result, the currently ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) included the proposal to double the defense budget in its governing platform, and the issue was openly and formally discussed.
In fact, since the time of Shinzo Abe's cabinet, breaking through the customary red line of 1% defense fee has been frequently proposed. The excuse is to constantly portray the security of Japan's periphery as a way to lead the extension of the customary red line of 1 percent to the cap on informal spending. In the past two years, the Actual Defense Expenditure of the Japanese Government has exceeded the 1% limit in proportion to the actual expenditure on defense.
It is reported that the target of setting the defense fee at 2% is included in a potential proposal document, not in the LDP's main administrative manual, which is also seen as the LDP's usual means of worrying about overstimating public opinion. When Japan conducts political manipulation, it also adopts the means of putting news first and then watching public opinion react. If the opposition is particularly loud, it will be withdrawn first to see if there is a chance to discuss it later. After public opinion subsides, it will be through other ways to achieve a breakthrough. This method has been tried and tested for the Japanese government.
At present, Japan is trying to find a way to revive its economy that has declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but at this time, the decision to double defense costs does not seem to have a good economic basis. After all, the two issues of economy and people's livelihood are the most important issues to consider at present, at least for the time being, it is difficult for the Japanese people to accept this proposal to increase defense spending. Other parties have also opposed a significant increase in defense spending.
At the current juncture, doubling defense spending is not a good time, but with the support of the United States behind it, the strong consensus of the Liberal Democratic Party to break through the shackles of order, and the vigorous promotion of Japanese military enterprises, the Japanese government's long-planned plan to increase defense spending will sooner or later be put into action and finally implemented.