Japan Approves Record Defense Budget Amid Rising China Tensions

Japan's Cabinet has approved a record 122.3 trillion yen ($782 billion) budget for the upcoming fiscal year, with over 9 trillion yen allocated for defense, aiming to strengthen coastal defenses amid rising regional tensions, particularly with China and the Taiwan issue. The country plans to double its defense spending to 2% of GDP, accelerate its timeline to meet this goal, and rely on imports for unmanned weapons to address manpower shortages, reflecting concerns over China's military activities near Japan.