Japan junior coalition partner: doubling defence spending will not gain public's understanding

FILE PHOTO: Komeito Party leader Natsuo Yamaguchi attends a debate session with other party leaders ahead of July 21 upper house election at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Japan July 3, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato

TOKYO (Reuters) - Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of the junior partner in Japan's ruling coalition, the Komeito party, said on Friday doubling the nation's defence spending abruptly will not win the public's understanding.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party, the larger of the two parties in the ruling bloc, said in a list of proposed policies ahead of the Oct. 31 lower house election that it aims to raise defence spending, moving towards a target of 2% of gross domestic product.