China's propaganda authorities have ordered its online media firms to take a tough stance on Japan following Tokyo's historic decision this week to allow greater use of its armed forces in defending other countries, sources familiar with the situation said Friday.

The directive says that the media must keep "criticizing" Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government for approving the reinterpretation of Japan's pacifist Constitution, which will permit its military to assist allies under armed attack by legalizing the use of "collective self-defense," sources close to the authorities said.

The authorities have asked the media to "guide the public to have the right view" on Japan, the sources said, adding that the order was issued after Abe's Cabinet decided Tuesday to reinterpret war-renouncing Article 9 of the post-war Constitution.