In the December 22, 2016 interview, Gady said the 2017 defense budget—a 1.4 percent increase to 43.5 billion USD—only represented 5 percent of Japan's overall government expenditure.

People in Asia and the world, he said, should not be concerned that this could lead to an arms race or even military conflict with China. Instead, Gady said the development would be more likely to fuel "the continuous occurrence of so-called gray zone coercion scenarios involving the China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese maritime militia vessels harassing Japanese maritime assets (primarily Japan Coast Guard cutters and aircraft) in the East China Sea."

Gady's remarks can be accessed here.

To read his commentary on the issue, click here.