Japanese Defense Chief Questions China’s Military Spending Data

U.S. and independent analysts have long said Beijing’s public budget does not capture the full cost of its military power.

Japan’s defense minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, speaks at the 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, 2026. IISS

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi questioned whether China’s official military-spending figures are factual, evidence-backed, and transparent, making public a concern long raised by U.S. and independent defense analysts about the limits of Beijing’s published budget data.

When asked in a Bloomberg interview on June 17 about China’s military spending, Koizumi said transparency was the key issue.