Japan eyes change in defense spending calculation

Nov 27, 2018 | News On Japan

Nov 27, 2018 (NHK) - Japan's government is considering tweaking its method for calculating defense spending, amid calls by the United States for allies to shoulder more of the burden.

President Donald Trump's administration has urged allies to commit more money. This call came despite NATO countries setting the target for defense spending at 2 percent of their GDP.

Japan has been spending more than 5 trillion yen, or 44 billion dollars, on defense in recent years. But the figure amounts to less than one percent of its GDP.

Tokyo believes a significant increase in spending is unlikely, given the country's fiscal situation.

The Japanese government is contemplating counting other expenses as part of its defense spending, as NATO countries do.

They may include pension payouts to soldiers of the now-defunct Japanese Imperial Army or to their bereaved families, as well as expenditures related to UN peacekeeping operations.

According to the new calculation method, the country's defense spending is expected to rise to around 1.3 percent of its GDP.

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