日本财务大臣片山萨纪周二对记者表示，在考虑如何为增加的国防开支提供资金时，日本将把财政可持续性纳入考量范围，此前当地媒体报道称政府正在权衡通过额外增加企业税来为该措施融资。
Japan will take fiscal sustainability into account as it considers how to fund increased defense spending, the nation’s finance minister said, after local media reported that the government was weighing an additional corporate tax hike to finance the measure.
“相关部门目前正在就我们国防能力的具体内容以及实现这些能力所需的国防开支水平展开现实且具体的讨论，”片山萨纪说。
“The relevant ministries and agencies are currently building up realistic and concrete discussions on the specifics of our defense capabilities and the level of defense spending needed to achieve them,” Satsuki Katayama told reporters on Tuesday.
“至于如何为其融资，我们将在充分考虑财政可持续性、确保稳定资金来源的前提下，考虑必要的措施，”她说。
“As for how to finance this, we will consider the necessary measures, giving due consideration to fiscal sustainability, ensuring stable sources of funding,” she said.
片山萨纪的言论是在共同社等媒体上周报道之后作出的，报道称额外增加企业税已成为日本不断增长的国防预算的一种可能融资来源。
Katayama’s remarks followed reports by Kyodo and others last week that an additional corporate tax hike had emerged as a possible funding source for Japan’s growing defense budget.
日本正在制定一项新的五年国防开支计划，该计划将于今年年底发布。共同社援引未具名政府官员的话报道称，新计划下的总开支可能达到70万亿日元（约合4410亿美元）至80万亿日元。
Japan is preparing a new five-year defense spending plan, to be released at the end of this year. Kyodo reported that total spending under the new plan could total ¥70 trillion ($441 billion) to ¥80 trillion, citing unnamed administration officials.
政府上一财年将国防开支提升至占国内生产总值的1.9%，约合11万亿日元，这包括更广泛的与安全相关的支出，如海岸警卫队的开支。彭博社此前报道称，日本正在考虑最终将国防开支提升至占国内生产总值的3.5%，以此与北约及其他美国盟国采纳的目标保持一致。
The government brought spending to 1.9% of gross domestic product last fiscal year, or roughly ¥11 trillion, including broader security-related outlays such as spending on the coast guard. Bloomberg earlier reported that Japan is considering eventually raising defense spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product, in line with a target adopted by NATO and other US allies.
片山萨纪表示，关于国防开支的决定将完全基于日本自身的独立判断。
Katayama said that decisions on defense spending would be based entirely on Japan’s own independent judgment.
围绕国防开支的争论正值政府准备最终确定从4月开始的新财政年度预算之际。除了国防，高市还必须为其他昂贵的举措筹措资金，其中包括对食品实施为期两年的消费税减免以及一个面向战略产业、为期14年的投资计划。
Debate over defense spending comes as the government prepares to finalize its budget for the fiscal year starting in April. Beyond defense, Takaichi must secure funding for other costly initiatives, including a two-year consumption tax cut on food and a 14-year investment program targeting strategic industries.
阅读：日本寻求创纪录的国防预算，高市计划加强军备。任何进一步增加与国防相关税收的提议都可能面临障碍。前首相岸田文雄在2022年决定通过增税来帮助资助国防扩张后，遭到公众反弹。该方案中包含的所得税增加多次被推迟，仅计划于明年生效。
Read: Japan Seeks Record Defense Budget as Takaichi Plans Buildup Any proposal for further defense-related tax increases is likely to face hurdles. Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida faced a public backlash after deciding in 2022 to use tax increases to help fund a defense expansion. An income-tax increase included in that package was repeatedly postponed and is only due to take effect next year.