TOKYO -- The Japanese government is planning to set aside its biggest five-year defense budget from fiscal year 2023 to top 30 trillion yen ($264 billion) for the first time, Nikkei has learned.
The budget will be part of the government's Midterm Defense Program, which Tokyo is aiming to revise by the end of 2022. This is part of Japan's strategy to lay the groundwork for stronger relations with the U.S. in the face of China's military expansion.
