Is Trump behind Japan’s push for radical military spending hike?

AI Summary

Pressure from the US is prompting Japan to significantly increase its military spending, potentially reaching 5% of GDP. This move reflects both US influence and Japan's response to heightened security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is weighing a sharp rise in defence spending as pressure from US President Donald Trump and worsening security conditions in the Indo-Pacific force Tokyo to reconsider how much it must do to protect itself. The party is expected to debate raising outlays to as much as 5 per cent of GDP, a level that would keep Japan in line with many Nato member states and mark another major shift for a country that long kept defence spending close to 1 per cent of...