Koizumi conveys to U.S. resolve to increase Japan's defense spending

New Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Wednesday that he conveyed Japan's "resolve" to continue increasing its defense spending amid security challenges posed by China, as he held his first in-person talks with his U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth in Tokyo.At a joint press conference with Hegseth after the meeting, Koizumi said he told Hegseth that the Japanese government now plans to raise its defense budget to 2 percent of gross domestic product by the end of this fiscal year through March, two years ahead of its previous commitment.Koizumi, who assumed his post last week, also told Hegs…READ FULL ARTICLE