US-South Korea Alliance Faces a Test beyond Political Rhetoric 
RECAP: Asia Sentinel Stories for August 2026 
Taiwan’s Habit of Releasing Soldiers’ Full Names Seems Risky Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is weighing a sharp rise in defence spending as pressure from US President Donald Trump and worsening security conditions in the Indo-Pacific force Tokyo to reconsider how much it must do to protect itself.
The party is expected to debate raising outlays to as much as 5 per cent of GDP, a level that would keep Japan in line with many Nato member states and mark another major shift for a country that long kept defence spending close to 1 per cent of GDP.
It submitted the proposal to its Research Commission on Security on Wednesday.
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While analysts agree the Self-Defence Forces could benefit from additional funds, they say the timing of the submission is as important as its content. As Trump is currently on a state visit to China, he is expected to be more alert to developments in the region.
Trump has repeatedly pressured security allies around the globe to spend more on their national defence – even going as far as to threaten those who refuse that the US will not come to their aid in the event of a conflict.
A critical defence partner in the western Pacific, Tokyo has enjoyed close ties with previous US administrations, but there is growing concern that US troops stationed in the country have become leverage for Trump and that Japan will need to do more to guarantee its own safety.
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