The following is the gist of interpellations at the Lower House budget committee meeting on Jan. 26, 2022:

Ukraine

Eda Kenji (Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan): What does the prime minister think about the situation in Ukraine?

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio: I’m closely watching the buildup of the Russian forces near the Ukrainian border with grave concern.

Eda: Will the government impose sanctions [on Russia] by coordinating with the Group of Seven (G7) advanced nations if (Russia) launches military action?

Kishida: We will consider specific actions after monitoring the situation. We want to cooperate with the international community, basically with the G7 framework in mind.

Taiwan

Nakatani Shin-ichi (Liberal Democratic Party): Taiwan is extremely important for Japan’s national security.

Kishida: The overall military balance between China and Taiwan is tilting in China’s favor. We are closely monitoring the situation with concern, including the recent trend. (Japan) must drastically strengthen its defense capability.

Capability to attack enemy bases

Nakatani: (Japan’s neighboring countries) are developing missiles that are difficult to intercept.

Kishida: We’ll realistically consider all options, including acquiring the capability to attack enemy bases, without excluding any of them, in addition to working to improve our capability to intercept missiles.