Japan PM Takaichi vows to boost defense spending to 2% of GDP by March

Call to achieve target 2 years ahead of time comes as Trump set to visit

20251024 Policy Speech

Japanese Prime minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a policy speech in parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 24. (Photo by Marina Inoue) 

MITSURU OBE and YUICHI SHIGA

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in her first policy address to parliament on Friday, unveiled a plan to lift Japan's defense-related spending to a level equivalent to 2% of gross domestic product in the current fiscal year ending March 2026, while also outlining a list of economic goals that she said can be achieved without raising taxes.

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