Japan says it is still a peaceful nation and the buildup is necessary for a more self-reliant military that can better deter China.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she had an “extremely meaningful” call with President Donald Trump and would visit the US leader later this year amid heightened tensions in the region sparked by recent Chinese military drills around Taiwan.

The Japanese government on Friday approved a record $58 billion defense budget for the 2026 fiscal year to match rising tensions with China.

Japan said Wednesday that China’s military exercises around Taiwan ‘increase tensions’ across the Taiwan Strait. China’s drills this week involved dozens of fighter aircraft and navy vessels conducting live-fire drills.

Yonaguni, a tiny Japanese island near Taiwan, is getting soldiers, radar and missiles. As China’s dispute with Tokyo escalates, some residents are worried.

China is using a ban on the humble mollusk, mostly harvested in Hokkaido, to punish Japan over its apparent willingness to defend Taiwan.