In a significant diplomatic development, Japan and Brazil have agreed to create a structure for foreign policy and defense exchanges during Brazilian President Lula Da Silva’s state visit to Japan.
This collaboration entails a five-year action plan facilitated by Japan’s foreign ministry, which includes political, economic, and climate dialogue.
The leaders discussed several international issues, such as the conflicts in Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East, and concerns in East Asia. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba emphasized the importance of resisting unilateral actions that alter global status quos.
Part of the new agreement is to enhance bilateral cooperation in defense equipment and technology. This comes as Japan plans to increase its defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027, surpassing the historical cap of 1%.
For fiscal year 2024, Japan’s defense budget stood at JPY 7.7 trillion, with a projected increase to JPY 8.73 trillion in 2025, reflecting its commitment to bolstering national defense, according to the Royal United Services Institute, a U.K.-based think tank.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent questioning of the U.S.-Japan security treaty has heightened the importance of Japan’s defensive autonomy.
Trump’s transactional approach to foreign policy has sparked security concerns among allies, including Japan. Earlier this month, Trump questioned the asymmetrical arrangement where the U.S. is obligated to defend Japan, yet the reciprocal is not explicitly required.
Additionally, Japan, amid compliance with Trump’s “America First” policy, faces challenges from newly announced U.S. tariffs on auto imports, mirroring those on steel and aluminum, which were all critical Japanese exports.
