Overview
- In her first post‑election address to parliament, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned that China is seeking to change the status quo in the East and South China seas through force or coercion.
- She described Japan’s security environment as the most severe and complex since World War II, citing China’s military moves, Russia’s ties with Beijing, and North Korea’s nuclear advancement.
- The government plans to accelerate the ongoing build‑up toward roughly 2% of GDP in defense spending and to loosen long‑standing limits on arms exports to permit lethal weapons sales.
- Takaichi said three core security documents will be rewritten this year and announced a new national intelligence council under her leadership alongside a CFIUS‑style screening body for sensitive foreign investment.
- Japanese companies announced about $36 billion for U.S. projects in Ohio, the Gulf of Mexico, and Georgia; President Donald Trump cast it as part of a larger package, which Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa later downplayed as mostly loans and guarantees.