Biden hopes Japan will increase defence spending to rival China's rise in Indo-Pacific

US President Joe Biden had expressed hope that Japan would increase its defence spending during a phone call with PM Fumio Kishida in October, Kyodo news report on Saturday, 27 November, citing a diplomatic source. As per the media agency, Biden did not mention exactly how much of an increase would be desirable during the call that took shortly after Kishida took office. However, the US President reportedly conveyed his expectations that Japan would steadily make progress in reviewing its defence capabilities. 

Now, this issue is expected to be discussed when Biden and Kishida meet next time and/or during security talks involving the two countries’ foreign and defence ministers. It is to mention that Biden’s remarks came in the wake of the Japanese PM showing eagerness to beef up Japan’s defence outlays amid China’s rise. According to Kyodo News, Japan has kept around 1% of the country’s gross domestic product in light of the war-renouncing Constitution. The US would apparently welcome Japan's increased defence expenditure as it would signal its eagerness to take on a larger role in security in the region. 

Japanese PM vows to strengthen defence capabilities 

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Kishida pledged to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities. While speaking at a Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF), the Japanese PM expressed concern about North Korea’s rapid development of missile technology and China’s military expansion. He said that when Japan revises its foreign and security policies, all options will be on the table including the idea of giving the Self-Defence Forces the capability to strike at hostile enemy bases. 

Kishida said that Japan "cannot overlook (North Korea's) recent development and improvement of new technologies such as hypersonic glide weapons and missiles with irregular orbits.”

Further, the Japanese PM also pointed towards China’s moves to strengthen its military without maintaining sufficient transparency. He said that China continues to strengthen its military without sufficient transparency and is making “unilateral attempts” to change the status quo. Notably, Kishida had previously also expressed strong concern over human rights issues in China during his remarks at a virtual meeting of leaders from about 50 Asian and European countries. He voiced worries about the rights situation in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. 

(With inputs from ANI)