Japan’s PM vows to modernise military for new era of threats

Fumio Kishida outlines step change in US-Japan security alliance after White House meeting with Joe Biden

Japan's prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has pledged to modernise his country's military alongside US president Joe Biden, warning that Russia's invasion of Ukraine had opened a dangerous new era and could embolden China.

Welcoming Kishida at the White House, Biden hailed the Japanese government's announcement last month that it will double defence spending over the next five years and develop new capabilities.