The government is planning to set up an expert panel to deepen discussions on how to secure enough funds to boost the country's defense costs with the security environment rapidly worsening, according to government and ruling party sources.
The panel is likely to hold around four meetings from as early as September through the end of this year, when both the compilation of fiscal 2023 initial budget and the updating of three key security-related documents such as the National Security Strategy are expected, the sources said Wednesday.
Through the discussion, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's administration will aim to strike the right balance between beefing up Japan's defense capabilities and maintaining fiscal discipline.