Japan ruling party seeks drastic defense budget rise amid China threat
By Reito Kaneko,
KYODO NEWS
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5 hours ago - 22:43 | All, Japan
A joint defense panel of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved a draft proposal Monday for the government to "drastically" increase the country's defense budget in the face of the increased security threat posed by China in the East and South China seas.
The move seeking a rise in the budget comes as neighboring countries including China are increasing their defense budgets and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has set a target for its members to spend at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense, according to the proposal.