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Japan election

Japan PM candidate Takaichi backs doubling defense budget to 2% GDP

Goal to raise ratio in line with European powers will cost $45bn

Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Blue Impulse airplanes: Sanae Takaichi, a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency, supports doubling Japan's defense spending. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Defense)

TOKYO -- Japanese prime minister candidate Sanae Takaichi said Friday she was willing to roughly double the nation's defense spending to match the level of many Western nations. 

"If we were to bring [the spending] in line with the West, it would be 2% of the GDP, or around 10 trillion yen ($91 billion)," Takaichi told reporters inside the parliament building.

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