Japan has announced another increase in military spending.
A further 180.5 billion yen ($US2.1 billion) has been requested, which is being linked directly to concerns in Japan about a growing military threat from China, the BBC reports.
Beijing is pursuing a claim to a group of disputed islands but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he's determined to block it. The islands are called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese.
A defence ministry spokesman said that part of extra funding would be for the purchase of PAC-3 surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile systems and to modernise four F-15 fighter jets.
The government, which won elections in December last year, said on Tuesday it would increase the defence budget request by more than 100 billion yen.
Officials said the increase would be used for research into a new radar system and maintenance costs for military aircraft.
A government stimulus package is expected later in January.
