Japan Approves Record Defense Budget Amid China Tensions

Japan's cabinet approved a record 9 trillion yen defense budget following rising tensions with China and comments regarding Taiwan.Shinjiro Koizumi emphasized that the 9.4 percent increase is necessary to address the most complex security environment since World War II.The plan accelerates the goal of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense and prioritizes long-range missiles and the SHIELD drone system.