Taiwanese officials say a failure to pass the government’s nearly $40 billion defense budget would “seriously weaken” its defense buildup and create a “gap” in collectively deterring Chinese military adventurism. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/11/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-lai-defense-budget-collective-deterrence/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #china #laichingte #pla #us #defense #budgets

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that would re-prioritize the customer list for U.S. weapons in favor of countries with higher defense spending and strategic importance in their regions. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/07/world/politics/trump-defense-spending-us-weapons-sales/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #donaldtrump #defense #us #budgets

The Taiwanese government's nearly $40 billion defense budget request is in jeopardy as the opposition pushes a much smaller proposal that omits key capabilities deemed critical to defending against a Chinese attack. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/04/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-defense-budget-analysis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #budgets #defense #pla #china #us #kmt #dpp #donaldtrump #laichingte

In the newly released U.S. National Defense Strategy, the Pentagon takes a softer stance on China and says it will offer “more limited U.S. support” to allies and partners — a shift likely to unnerve Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/24/asia-pacific/us-national-defense-strategy-2026/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #us #usmilitary #budgets #defense #donaldtrump #uschinarelations #china #pla #taiwan #northkorea #southkorea

With chips, investments and planned defense spending hikes, Taiwan is aiming to win over U.S. President Donald Trump and avert a crisis. Will it work? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/22/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-trump-china-appeasement/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #china #taiwan #us #uschinarelations #pla #laichingte #donaldtrump #defense #chipmakers #budgets

Despite Japan bracing itself for the worst when Donald Trump was elected for a second term as U.S. president, the tumult generated in his first year back has exceeded even Tokyo's deepest fears. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/21/japan/politics/trump-us-japan-year-one/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #us #usjapanrelations #indopacific #donaldtrump #sanaetakaichi #defense #budgets #china #pla #taiwan #greenland #venezuela #usmilitary

The government is unlikely to secure the passage of its fiscal 2026 draft budget by March 31, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced her decision to dissolve the Lower House. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/20/economy/japan-election-budget-passage-delay/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #budgets #2026lowerhouseelection #sanaetakaichi #japaneseeconomy #satsukikatayama

Takaichi might surprise markets that are bracing for an unrestrained fiscal dove after the election in Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/19/economy/takaichi-fiscal-policy-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #sanaetakaichi #diet #ldp #tse #nikkei #stocks #budgets #debt #economicindicators

For Tokyo, 2026 will be full of pressing questions — namely about the U.S. commitment to its alliance with Japan under President Donald Trump, a concern that is sure to bleed into other aspects of Tokyo’s foreign policy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/08/japan/politics/japan-diplomatic-outlook/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #sanaetakaichi #donaldtrump #chinajapanrelations #defense #xijinping #china #budgets

Policy wonks in Japan are consumed by the debate over how to measure fiscal woes, with the primary budget balance at the center of the argument. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/04/economy/tang-primary-budget-surplus/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #japaneseeconomy #sanaetakaichi #budgets #debts

While the government's fiscal 2026 budget bill calls for record-high spending on social security, its efforts to reduce the health insurance premium burden on the working generation are still limited. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/27/japan/society/burden-working-generation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #health #sanaetakaichi #ldp #nipponishinnokai #budgets #debt #elderly #medicine

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the nation’s primary balance is set to return to a surplus for the first time in 28 years, in an apparent attempt to ease market concerns over her proactive stance on spending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/27/economy/primary-balance-surplus/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #sanaetakaichi #ldp #budgets #debt #japaneseeconomy

Japan’s Cabinet has approved a defense budget request exceeding ¥9 trillion for the first time ever, including some ¥100 billion to build a drone “shield” to help defend the country’s southwestern periphery. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/26/japan/japan-defense-spending-record-high/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #defense #budgets #defenseministry #sdf #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi

Japan’s industry ministry is set to nearly quadruple its budgeted support for cutting-edge semiconductors and AI development to about ¥1.23 trillion for the next fiscal year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/26/economy/ai-budget-support/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #ai #japaneseeconomy #chipmakers #meti #cabinet #us #china #sanaetakaichi #tech #budgets

Japan’s military aid program is likely to expand from eight to at least 12 recipient countries in the next fiscal year after the Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved a record budget for the framework. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/26/japan/japan-official-security-assistance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #foreignministry #budgets #aid #defense #osa

Takaichi’s Cabinet is proposing record spending in the next fiscal year, including the issuing of ¥29.6 trillion of government bonds. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/26/economy/takaichi-2026-budget/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #sanaetakaichi #budgets #debts

The government plans to scrap its target of turning the primary budget balance at the central and local governments into a surplus in a specific fiscal year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/25/economy/japan-primary-surplus-goal/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #japaneseeconomy #sanaetakaichi #budgets #debts

Japan's government revised up its economic forecast for the fiscal year to next March and projected that growth would accelerate in the following year, on the view that a massive stimulus package will boost expenditure. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/25/economy/japan-govt-economic-growth-projection/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #japaneseeconomy #consumption #taxes #budgets #sanaetakaichi

The Finance Ministry will set a key rate used to calculate the country’s likely interest payments on bonds next fiscal year at 3.0%, the highest in nearly three decades. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/24/economy/interest-payments-on-bonds/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #budgets #bonds #debt #financeministry #japaneseeconomy

Okinawa development funds to see first rise in 10 years https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/18/japan/japan-okinawa-development-funds/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #ldp #okinawa #budgets #yukoobuchi