The new Liberal Democratic Party government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will revise the country's long-term basic defense program compiled by the Democratic Party of Japan amid China's military rise.
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Thursday that Abe told him to revise the plan and bolster the role of the Self-Defense Forces and Japan's deterrence capabilities, in conjunction with the new national defense strategy unveiled by Washington, Tokyo's long-time security ally, in January 2011. The U.S. plan places greater focus on Asia, warning of China's growing military presence.
Japan's current defense program, covering an approximately 10-year period from April last year, was adopted at the end of 2010 by the government of then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan. The next review was slated to take place around 2020, officials said.