The government might revise the Official Development Assistance Charter to allow Japan to use official aid to help foreign military forces engaged in noncombat operations, such as disaster relief and coast guard activities, according to sources.
"We have been too stiff in saying that we cannot provide any ODA to any military," a government official said.
The charter bans Japan from using ODA to assist foreign military forces to prevent the aid from being used to abet international conflicts. The official said the review would be in line with the strategic utilization of ODA stipulated in the National Security Strategy adopted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet in December.