Indo-Pacific Arms Race Accelerates
Over the next 3-6 months a sharpening regional arms race drives Japan and its neighbors to expand militaries and export weapons—Tokyo moving to sell missiles—as maritime confrontations with China multiply and Asian rearmament gathers pace.
strengthening · confidence 72 · Medium term (3-9 months) · tracking since May 31, 2026 · updated June 14, 2026
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