Tokyo: A near-final draft of a new Japanese national security strategy calls for a stronger military to deal with a rising China and other growing risks close to home.
The development of the formal security strategy is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to boost Japan's defense and its international role.
It reflects global power shifts, notably changes in the relative influence of Japan's longtime protector, the United States.
“As the security environment surrounding our country gets increasingly severe, we have been working to rebuild our national security policy with a firm commitment to defend the people's lives and possessions,” Abe said on Wednesday at a meeting where a panel of experts and lawmakers discussed their draft.
The national security strategy is modeled in part on similar documents in the United States and elsewhere.
The Cabinet is expected to approve the strategy next week, along with a revision of Japan's long-term defense program guidelines.
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