The idea that Japan can improve its security without dropping a long-standing ban on aiding friendly countries under attack is a miracle that just won't happen, the acting head of an advisory panel to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
Abe has made clear that he wants to lift the ban on collective self-defense to bolster security ties with the United States as China expands its military and North Korea develops its nuclear capabilities.
The lifting of the ban would be a major turning point for the military, which has not engaged in combat since its defeat in World War II under a U.S.-drafted pacifist charter.