Japan’s cabinet approved Friday a record defense budget of 5.4 trillion yen ($47.2 billion) for the year starting in April, as it seeks to bolster its ability to fend off threats from neighboring China.
The figure marks the 10th straight increase in annual defense spending and exceeds a ceiling of 1% of gross domestic product that the pacifist country has largely maintained for decades. The plan follows record defense spending in a supplementary budget passed by parliament this week.
