Two controversial bills needed for Japan and the United States to better cope with military emergencies in areas surrounding Japan were authorized Tuesday by the Cabinet, despite opposition from within the tripartite ruling bloc.
Later in the morning, Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright signed a pact to revise the Japan-U.S. Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) in Tokyo. The revised ACSA will enable Japan's Self-Defense Forces to provide the U.S. Armed Forces with rear-area support in the event of military conflicts in areas surrounding Japan.
Since Japan and the U.S. updated the bilateral defense cooperation guidelines last fall, Tokyo has been urged to take legislative measures to back the U.S. forces.