US EditionPacifist Japan struggles to boost troops as China anxiety grows
Japan aims to increase military spending to 2% of GDP by 2027 and expand diverse defense roles amid concerns over China's Taiwan ambitions, despite recruitment challenges and public reluctance.
- Tokyo began increasing defence spending in 2023 and aims to reach two percent of GDP by fiscal 2027, while new recruits like 19-year-old Takuma Hiyane trained in Okinawa earlier this year.
- Faced with worries about China, Tokyo officials say Japan fears China could seize Taiwan, risking conflict with Washington, but Japan's constitution bans force and public opposition to formal military status remains strong.
- Recruitment struggles have shown that the Japan Self-Defense Forces face difficulty convincing young Japanese to enlist despite ongoing modernization efforts.
- In response to shortages, defence expenditure has funded quality-of-life upgrades for SDF personnel, and Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in June that increasing SDF numbers is "a top priority".
- SDF recruiters say the force now needs personnel skilled in cybersecurity, space defence, electromagnetic warfare, and intelligence, reflecting broadening national security demands.
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69 Articles
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayPacifist Japan’s rearmament drive faces a manpower crisis as China anxiety grows
NAHA, Sept 1 — Sporting dark face paint and clutching a gun, teenage soldier-in-training Takuma Hiyane crawls across a field on Japan’s Okinawa, the front line of the nation’s defence as anxiety grows over China’s territorial ambitions.As the world marks the 80th anniversary of World War II, Japan — which has been officially pacifist since its defeat — is trying to lure more talent into its armed forces.Tokyo began upping its military spending i…
In 2023, the country hoped for 20,000 recruits, but only half of them, according to the Ministry of Defence. As a result, about 10% of the planned 250,000 are missing.
ABC FOX Montana
Pacifist Japan struggles to boost troops as China anxiety grows
Sporting dark face paint and clutching a gun, teenage soldier-in-training Takuma Hiyane crawls across a field on Japan's Okinawa, the front line of the nation's defence as anxiety grows over China's territorial ambitions.
Pacifist Japan Struggles To Boost Troops As China Anxiety Grows
Sporting dark face paint and clutching a gun, teenage soldier-in-training Takuma Hiyane crawls across a field on Japan's Okinawa, the front line of the nation's defence as anxiety grows over China's territorial ambitions.
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