THE Japanese government is likely to increase defence spending for the first time in 11 years, as new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledges a sterner response to a territorial dispute with China.
The government is considering increasing defence spending by around 2% to more than 4.7 trillion yen (about £33 billion) in the fiscal year starting in April, the Mainichi newspaper reported.
Japan has scrambled F-15 fighter jets several times in recent weeks to intercept Chinese marine surveillance planes approaching the disputed islands near Taiwan.
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