Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru has criticized comments from U.S. official Elbridge Colby, who is set to become deputy defense secretary, regarding the need for Japan to increase its military budget.

This was reported by The Japan Times.

According to JT, Colby urged Tokyo to raise defense spending to at least 3% of GDP as soon as possible.

He stressed that Japan must accelerate military modernization to strengthen territorial defense and collective security in the Indo-Pacific.

Colby also described Japan’s recent defense policy review as an important step but argued that current measures remain insufficient.

“It makes no sense for Japan, which faces direct threats from China and North Korea, to spend only 2%,” he said.

He further referenced former U.S. President Donald Trump’s position that Washington’s allies should significantly increase their defense budgets.

Japanese Mogami-class frigate Agano. December 2022. Japan. Photo: Defense Ministry of Japan

In response, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru rejected the pressure, stating that no other country would dictate Japan’s military expenditures.

“Japan determines its own defense budget. It should not depend on what other countries tell it to do,” he said.

Japanese Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also weighed in, saying that the key issue is not the percentage of GDP spent on defense but the actual capabilities it delivers.

Regarding Taiwan, Colby took an even stronger stance, arguing that its defense budget should increase more than fourfold from the 2.45% of GDP planned for this year.

“They should allocate more than 10% to defense, or at least something in that range, really focusing on their defense,” he said.