Japan has severed another tie with its post-war pacifist defense posture, with the government adopting new policy guidelines which include a more active role in international conflicts.The government said the policy reflected the new threats from global terrorism and the changing world political environment, singling out China and North Korea as areas of key concern.”China, which has significant influence on the region’s security, is pushing forward its nuclear and missile capabilities and modernization of its navy and air force,” the policy outline says, according to a report on the Kyodo news service.”It is also trying to expand its scope of naval activities and attention must be paid to these developments.”A Chinese nuclear-powered submarine intruded into Japanese waters last month, although Japan later said Beijing had apologized for what it termed a technical mistake.Referring to North Korea, the outline describes Pyongyang’s military moves as ”a significantly unstable factor in regional security and a serious problem for global nonproliferation efforts.”The new policy also includes a relaxation of Japan’s arms exports ban to enable sales of missile defense components to the United States, a move which underscores a strengthening of Japan’s alliance with the U.S.Full Story
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