Japan PM Fumio Kishida pledges to strengthen military

Tokyo: Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said his country urgently needs to strengthen its naval and military capabilities, warning that nations must prepare to face aggressors.Mr. Kishida condemned the worsening security environment in the East and South China seas, threats from North Korea’s nuclear and missile advancement, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Japan's Prime Minister was speaking at an international naval review on Sunday. Mr. Kishida said, the security environment in the East and South China seas, especially around Japan, is increasingly becoming more severe, noting North Korea's increased missile firings, including one that flew over Japan last month, and growing concern about the impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Asia.

The Japanese Prime Minister said,



avoiding disputes and seeking dialogue is important, but it is also necessary to be prepared for provocations and threats to peace and stability. He repeated his pledge to significantly reinforce Japan's military capability within five years.

Mr. Kishida said Japan will further strengthen the deterrence and response capability of the Japan-US alliance.

Eighteen warships participated in the review from 12 countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea, while the U.S. and France also sent warplanes.

South Korea joined for the first time in seven years, in the latest sign of improvement in badly strained ties between Tokyo and Seoul over Japan's wartime atrocities.