As the scale of her government's historic victory became clear on Sunday — capturing 352 of the 465 seats in the lower house — Takaichi said she would "work flat out to deliver" an agenda that includes building a military strong enough to deter Chinese threats to its islands, including those close to Taiwan. "We urge Japan's ruling authorities to take seriously, rather than ignore, the concerns of the international community, and to pursue the path of peaceful development instead of repeating the mistakes of militarism," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. That could lift defense outlays to around 3% of GDP, an LDP lawmaker told Reuters ahead of Sunday's election, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity surrounding such a move.
Published at: 2026-02-09 21:59:27
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