Most notably #Russia and #China..#Japan reveals the most dangerous challenges it faces

In its latest "white paper" on defense published on Friday, Japan revealed the security threats and challenges of concern to Tokyo.

The "white paper" indicated that Japan is concerned about the new threats posed by Russia, and has concerns about the increasing pressure exerted by China on Taiwan.

The annual report of the Japanese Ministry of Defense devoted an entire chapter to the Russian military operation in Ukraine, saying that this operation could contain a message that "an attempt to change an existing situation by force unilaterally is acceptable."

The ministry expressed concern that Russia might also find itself weakened by the dispute, which could prompt it to "further strengthen its relations with China".

The "white paper" that reviews global geopolitical risks and specific threats to Japan noted that Moscow may increasingly resort to nuclear deterrence, which could lead to increased activity around Japan, where Russian nuclear submarines regularly pass.
Japan joined Western sanctions against Russia, and has since seen an intensification of the Russian military presence near its territory. In May, Russian and Chinese bombers flew near the archipelago.

The 2022 White Paper detailed the Taiwan issue, saying that "since the Russian military operation in Ukraine, Taiwan has been seeking to strengthen its self-defense efforts in the face of the danger posed by Beijing on its territory."
defensive budget

Japan, which is concerned about its security from China and North Korea as well, is supposed to increase its defense budget significantly, AFP reported.

This budget has been rising for years, but Japan's military spending is still the lowest among the countries of the Group of Seven major industrial countries compared to their GDP.

The long-term ruling Liberal Democratic Party seeks to double the national defense budget to 2 percent of GDP.

Under its pacifist constitution, which was drafted and entered into force shortly after World War II under the US occupation of the country, Japan is not supposed to have an army and its military investment is supposed to be limited to defense.

But the Liberal Democratic Party and other parties wishing to revise the constitution now have a sufficient parliamentary base to do so, but the process appears to be long and complex.