Sanae Takaichi's government identifies China as Japan's primary strategic challenge in new defense white paper.
The administration announced that China is Japan's biggest strategic challenge, according to a 598-page defense white paper adopted by the Cabinet on Tuesday. The report highlights Japan's need to adapt to new warfare methods, such as drones and artificial intelligence, while strengthening its defense industry. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi noted that speed is key to developing domestic drones to bolster coastal defense and compensate for a shrinking population of service members. The paper also notes that China's rapid military spending and growing presence of warships in the Pacific are major concerns. Additionally, the report identifies North Korea's hypersonic missile development and its growing military ties with Russia as pressing threats. To address these challenges, Japan is expanding funding for startups and scientific research to improve arms production. The government has also scrapped its lethal weapons export ban to help develop its domestic defense industry and strengthen ties with international partners like Australia and the Philippines.