Japan defence minister: PM told us to boost defence spending to 2% of GDP

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed key ministers to bring defence spending and complementary measures to equivalent of 2% of the country's present gross domestic product (GDP) in five years, Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said on Monday.

"He told us to make every efforts in securing necessary (funding) quickly and firmly," Hamada told reporters after a meeting with the premier and Finance Minister Sunhichi Suzuki.