U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted Friday that while Washington is asking Japan to boost its defense spending, the thinking behind the push is likely to align with the views of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Asked during a briefing in Malaysia for his thoughts on reports that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is pressuring Japan to ramp up its defense budget to as much as 5% of its gross domestic product (GDP), Rubio refuted the characterization of this as a “demand.”
“We’ve encouraged them to invest in certain capabilities,” he said after the conclusion of Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related meetings. “It’s less to do with the amount of money and more to do about certain things they can do.”
