Japan’s prime minister vows military buildup and deeper ties with the US as regional tension rises

Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has renewed a pledge to build up his country’s military and deepen its alliance with the United States under President-elect Donald Trump. Ishiba, who made the comments at an annual troop review held at Camp Asaka in the Tokyo suburbs, said the security environment surrounding Japan and the international community has worsened due to escalating tensions with China, Russia and North Korea. He pledged to reinforce Japan’s military power. He said breaches of Japanese airspace by Chinese and Russian warplanes earlier this year “not only violated Japanese sovereignty but also threatened the safety of Japan and are absolutely unacceptable.”