Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says that Japan will stand with the United States if there is military conflict with China. That's from an interview with the American press, which discussed the growing tensions between the US and China over Taiwan.
Suga says that there are US military bases in Okinawa, and Japan views the US as an ally. Therefore, he says that Japan must protect Okinawa alongside US forces if it comes under attack from China.
Suga says that Japan's safety is his top priority, and he plans to increase defense measures relating to outer space, the internet, and electromagnetic waves. Japan's defense budget is currently capped at 1% of the GDP, and Suga says this limitation should be reconsidered in order to properly protect the country.
The defense budget restriction has been in place since 1976. Although the rule was technically abolished in 1987, the vast majority of Japanese cabinets have still only allocated 1% of the GDP for defense measures