Kishida: Japan to 'fundamentally' strengthen defense in 5 years

At Shangri-La Dialogue, PM vows $2bn in Indo-Pacific aid for 'new era' of realism

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers the keynote speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 10. © Reuters

TSUBASA SURUGA, Nikkei staff writer

June 10, 2022 22:32 JST

SINGAPORE -- Japan will "fundamentally reinforce Japan's defense capabilities within the next five years," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed in Singapore on Friday, delivering a keynote address to open the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit.

Kishida pledged to "secure a substantial increase" in the country's defense budget to back this up, stressing that Japan has adopted a new type of "realism diplomacy for a new era."