Dialogue
Dialogue
China Plus
Japan's military expansion: what's behind the revision of security documents?
26 minutes Posted Apr 28, 2026 at 1:17 pm.
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The Japanese government has convened the first meeting of an expert panel to begin revising three of its most important security documents - the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program. The move marks the latest step in Japan’s accelerating defense shift, following months of rising military spending, expanded security cooperation, and changes to its arms export policies. What is driving the revision of these key strategies? Is Japan laying the groundwork for a further military buildup? Could its long-standing “no introduction” principle on nuclear weapons come under review?