Japan's government approves record military spending

TOKYO (Dec 22): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government on Thursday approved an increase in defense spending to record levels to counter growing Chinese military power in the East China Sea and an escalating North Korean ballistic missile threat.

Abe's cabinet on Thursday signed off on a 1.4% increase in spending to 5.13 trillion yen ($63 billion) for the year starting April 1.

If approved by lawmakers, which is highly likely given the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's control of parliament, it will be the fifth straight annual increase in outlays.

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