Japan defence budget prioritises quality over GDP ratio, spokesperson reacts to Trump aide

TOKYO, March 5 (Reuters) - Japan's defence buildup prioritises quality over the size of its budget, a top government spokesperson said on Wednesday, in response to calls by one of U.S. President Donald Trump's aides to ramp up defence spending to counter China.

"What we think important is the substance of defence capabilities, not the volume or GDP ratio," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press conference, explaining Japan's effort to raise defence budgets to be over 2% of the country's gross domestic product in fiscal year 2027.

Hayashi's comments came after Elbridge Colby, a Trump nominee as a top Pentagon policy advisor, admonished Taiwan and Japan for acting too slowly to raise defence spending.