Japan is engaged in a significant military buildup by boosting domestic defense spending, refining its national security strategy, and strengthening multilateral security partnerships with its allies, chiefly the United States.
The military buildup is designed to deter China’s increased aggression toward the Japanese mainland and islands.
Japan is paying special attention to the defense of the Senkaku Islands, where China has been conducting routine coercive military incursions. This tactic seeks to steadily pressure Japan on China’s unlawful claim to the Japanese-administered islands.
Japan also is reaching out to other countries in the region. Last year, Japan, South Korea, and the United States committed to strengthening their trilateral security relationship. The three nations’ investments in defensive capabilities and streamlined interoperability are…
