LDP, JIP Submit Proposals on National Security Paper Revision

Tokyo, June 24 (Jiji Press)--The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, each submitted proposals Wednesday on a revision of the government's three key national security documents planned for this year.

Both parties proposed increases in the defense budget. The JIP proposals featured a call for a realistic review of the three nonnuclear principles of not possessing or making nuclear weapons or allowing them to be brought into the country.

An expert panel set up by the government started in April its discussions on the revision of the three strategic documents, namely the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program.

Based on proposals by the panel due out around autumn, the government plans to revise the three documents, drawn up in 2022, earlier than initially planned.

In its proposals, the LDP stopped short of specifying a target level for defense budget increases. Instead, the party demanded that the transformation of the country's defense capabilities be completed within five years, citing examples of NATO members aiming to raise the proportion of their defense spending to 3.5 pct of gross domestic product by 2035, South Korea seeking to boost it to 3.5 pct as early as possible, and Australia to 3 pct by 2033.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]