Japan Cancels "2+2" Meeting with U.S.
in Response to U.S. Request for 3.5% of GDP in Defense Spending
The British daily Financial Times (FT) and other outlets reported on June 21 that the Japanese government has canceled the U.S.-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministers' (2+2) meeting, which was scheduled to be held early next month, in protest against the U.S. demand for increased defense spending.
According to the reports, Elbridge Colby, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy, recently requested that Japan raise its defense spending to 3.5% of its gross domestic product (GDP), which is higher than the previously requested 3%. During his confirmation hearing in March, when he was still a nominee, Colby stated that Japan’s current plan to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP by fiscal year 2027 (April 2027 to March 2028) is clearly insufficient, and emphasized that Japan should raise its defense spending to 3% of GDP as soon as possible.
At the time, the Japanese government pushed back against Colby’s remarks, stating, "Japan’s defense budget is determined by Japan." Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan also expressed displeasure, saying, "We have no intention of engaging in crude discussions." Japan’s defense-related budget for fiscal year 2025 stands at about 1.8% of GDP. Japan plans to raise its defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027.
After Colby requested that Japan raise its defense spending to 3.5% of GDP, anger reportedly spread within the Japanese government, and, according to the FT, Japan canceled the 2+2 meeting that was scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C., on July 1 for the first time in a year.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Ishiba had agreed to hold the 2+2 meeting as soon as possible during the U.S.-Japan summit in February, and Japanese media had reported that both countries were coordinating to hold the meeting in early July.
Kyodo News commented that, regarding the cancellation of the 2+2 meeting, raising Japan’s defense spending to 3.5% of GDP is not feasible from a funding perspective, and if such demands are made, it could become a new source of friction. The report also added that the Japanese government and ruling party may have sought to avoid receiving such high-level demands from the U.S. just before the election.
However, experts noted that it is unusual for Japan, which has considered the U.S.-Japan alliance as the core of its security policy, to cancel the 2+2 meeting. This particular 2+2 meeting was especially significant as it would have been the first to be held since the launch of the second Trump administration.
Christopher Johnston, Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the United States, pointed out that "Japan has always placed a very high priority on the 2+2 meeting," and noted that this could be seen as an example of Japan’s anxiety about the bilateral relationship and its future outlook.
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