By Zachary Keck
Tokyo showed reporters drafts of the new National Defense Program Guidelines and National Security Strategy.
Japan allowed reporters to review three important defense plans it is set to approve next week, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, on Tuesday the Japanese cabinet intends to approve revisions to the country’s National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG) as well as a new Mid-Term Defense Program. The NDPG outlines Japan’s defense posture over the next decade while the Mid-Term Defense Program sets out a five-year plan for procuring the necessary capabilities to fulfill the NDPG. Tokyo last approved (PDF) a NDPG in 2010 but Prime Minister Abe Shinzo decided to revise (PDF) the document upon taking office earlier this year, citing the “tense” regional security environment and singling out the threats from North Korea and China in particular.
The Reuters report indicated that the defense plans continue to emphasize the dual threats Tokyo faces from Pyongyang and Beijing. The NDPG reportedly says that Japan sees China as trying to change the status quo in the region and pledges to “respond calmly and resolutely to the rapid expansion and step-up of China’s maritime and air activities.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat