Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Friday to “fundamentally strengthen defense capabilities without excluding any options,” as the government held its first meeting of an expert panel for Japan’s defense buildup. Kishida made the remark at the meeting of the panel, where about 10 experts exchanged views on how to increase Japan’s defense capabilities while securing enough funds to boost its defense expenditures in response to worsening security situations under threats by China, North Korea and Russia. The discussion at the panel will pave the way for updating of three key security-related g…