Japan agrees to raise host-nation spending for U.S. military

JapanwillboostitsspendingforU.S.forcesstationedthereby1.4percentforthenextfiveyears,theJapanesegovernmentsaidonWednesday,supportingtheU.S.military'sAsianpresenceinthefaceofarisingChina.

Japan'scontributiontocoversuchexpensesassalariesforworkersatU.S.basesandutilitiesissetat189.3billionyen($1.56billion)peryearonaverageforthefive-yearperiodstartingnextApril.

Thatisupfromactualaveragedannualspendingof186.6billionyenoverthepastfiveyears.Theplannedoutlayissubjecttofluctuationsinlaborcosts.

ThedecisioncomesaftertheUnitedStatesaskedforanincreaseinthespendingasitproceedswithitsrebalancingtoAsia,aimedatcounteringChina'sgrowingeconomicandmilitarymight.

Japanhadinitiallysoughttocutitscontributioninabidtoreininmassivepublicdebt

UnderPrimeMinisterShinzoAbe,JapanhasmovedtoboostsecuritytieswiththeUnitedStates.

Japan'srelationswithChinaarecloudedbyaterritorialdisputeoveragroupoftinyEastChinaSeaisletsandthelegacyofJapan'swartimeaggression.

JapanreviseddefensecooperationguidelineswiththeUnitedStatesinApriltotakeonalargersecurityrole,andinSeptemberpassedlegislationenablingtheJapanesemilitarytodefendtheUnitedStatesoranyotherallyunderattack.