Biden expresses hope Japan would increase defence spending amid China’s rise

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida vowed to strengthen the country's defence capabilities amid China's expansion and North Korea's rapid development of missile technology. 

Washington: US President Joe Biden expressed his hope that Japan would increase its defence budget during a phone call with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in October, Japanese media reported on Saturday 27).

Biden's remarks came as Kishida shows eagerness to ramp up Japan's defence outlays amid China's rise, Kyodo News reported citing a diplomatic source.

So far, Japan has kept its defence budget around 1 per cent of its gross domestic product given the passive Constitution.

On Saturday, the Japanese Prime Minister vowed to strengthen the country's defence capabilities.

Kishida's remarks came during a speech at a Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) base, where he expressed concern about North Korea's rapid development of missile technology and China's military expansion, Kyodo News reported.

When Japan revises its foreign and security policies, Kishida said all options would be on the table, including the idea of giving the Self-Defence Forces the capability to strike at hostile enemy bases.

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

The Japanese PM also pointed towards China's moves to strengthen its military without maintaining sufficient transparency. "China continues to strengthen its military without sufficient transparency and is making "unilateral attempts to change the status quo," Kishida said.

Earlier, Kishida had also complained about human rights issues in China during his remarks at a virtual meeting of leaders from about 50 Asian and European countries on Friday.

Kishida voiced worries about the rights situation in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang region in northwestern China on the sidelines of the summit. 

Courtesy: ANI