U.S. Urges Japan to Increase Defense Budget to 3.5 Percent of GDP
(MENAFN) The United States government has urged Japan to increase its defense expenditure to 3.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), a move likely to cause Tokyo to scrap a scheduled high-level meeting with Washington, according to media on Saturday, citing diplomatic sources.
This push from Washington is expected to lead Japan to cancel the upcoming meeting between the two nations’ foreign and defense ministers, planned to take place in Washington, the report revealed.
The two-plus-two security dialogue was set to be the first since Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office in October and January respectively, Kyodo added.
Separately, another media outlet reported that Japan called off the July 1 meeting after the U.S. unexpectedly demanded a substantial rise in Tokyo’s defense budget.
This request came in recent weeks from Elbridge Colby, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, who had previously advocated for Japan to raise its defense spending to 3 percent of GDP, the media outlet noted, referencing insiders familiar with the issue.
Back in 2022, following Trump’s first term, Japan committed to doubling its annual defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2027—a significant change for a nation with a pacifist constitution.
Despite this, Trump has continued to criticize the U.S.-Japan security alliance as one-sided, with his administration apparently planning to push Japan to contribute more toward the costs of U.S. forces stationed on Japanese soil.
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