Japan's defense ministry seeks record budget facing Chinese threat

TOKYO, Japan: To fortify its deterrence on southwestern islands against China's increasing threat, Japan's Defense Ministry demanded a record 8.5 trillion yen (US$59 billion) budget for 2025.

Defense officials focused on unmanned weapons and artificial intelligence to compensate for the declining number of servicemembers due to the country's shrinking population.

This is the third year Japan has asked for