Japan's record $52 billion military budget aims at safeguarding against China

In Japan, the government of Yoshihide Suga is reinforcing the country's military might. It has proposed a record $51.7 billion defence budget.This is the ninth consecutive rise in Japan's military spending.

This year has seena record $51.7 billion defence budget and a comprehensive plan to counter China's growing military power.

Japan is reinforcing its military might under the new leadership of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

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"The national security situation around the country is getting increasingly severe. We need to cope with new areas of national security such as space, cyber and the electromagnetic spectrum, beyond the conventional framework of air, land and sea,"Yoshihide Suga said.

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The ministry of defence in Japan is set to get a record $51.7 billion (5.34 trillion yen) budget next year. This budget is aimed at giving Japan's forces new planes, missiles and aircraft carriers with greater range and potency against China.

These purchases will likely include a $40 billion fighter jet being developed by Mitsubishi heavy industries in collaboration with Lockheed Martin.

A $323 million anti-ship missile to defend the south-western Okinawa Island chain, $628 million will be spent on obtaining six Lockheed F-35 stealth fightersand $912 million are to be allocated for building two compact warships that can operate with fewer sailors.

"We, as the Japanese government need to thoroughly rationalize and make our defence operations more efficient. To correspond to the increasingly severe security environment, we would like to firmly strengthen our defence power while getting people to understand through our explanations at parliament sessions,"said Katsunobu Katō, Japanese chief cabinet secretary.

This is a record spike in defence spending in Japan's recent history.

Yoshihide Suga is following in the footsteps of his predecessor Shinzo Abe,who also focused on a military development in Japan. Under Abe, Japan bolstered its defences in response to a growing military threat from China.

A threat that still persists. The PLA's incursions in the East China sea have not stopped asjust this month, Chinese ships entered the territorial waters of Japan near theSenkaku Islands. Chinese vessels have also been hovering around Japan's Okinawa Island chain.

Japan's new budget is largely aimed at safeguarding its sovereignty. The spike in defence spending will go a long way in protecting its coastal territories, not to mention, also in countering China's never-ending military expansionism.