
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio on Thursday called for the effective use of research and development functions and public infrastructure to enhance the country’s defense capabilities.
Kishida instructed officials to consider specific steps during a meeting of an expert panel tasked with discussing how Japan should enhance its defense capabilities drastically.
He asked the officials to report their ideas at the next panel meeting.
An expert told the meeting that only 160 billion yen of 4 trillion yen in the government’s science and technology budget goes to the Defense Ministry.
Another expert said that the government should promote airport and sea port development from normal times for them to be used in times of contingencies.
JIJI Press