Japan has approved a draft budget with record defense funding for 2026

The Cabinet of Ministers of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has approved a draft budget of $785 billion with record defense spending due to the alleged threat from China. This was reported by The Guardian newspaper on December 26.

"Defense spending in 2026 will amount to $58 billion <...> The budget plan focuses on strengthening the potential for retaliatory strikes and coastal defense using surface-to—ship missiles and unmanned vehicles," the material says.

The budget increase is part of Japan's five-year program to double annual spending on weapons to 2% of GDP. The authors of the material clarify that the record financing of the defense sector is dictated by the deterioration of relations with China after Takaichi's statement about possible Japanese intervention if "Beijing attacks Taiwan."

On December 17, NHK reported that Japan plans to allocate a record amount for the needs of the armed forces — more than 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) in the 2026 fiscal year, which begins on April 1. Approximately 30 billion yen will also be allocated for the purchase of hypersonic guided missiles, and about 160 billion yen will be allocated for the development of new-generation fighter aircraft.

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