Japan is exploring the possibility of postponing until at least early next year a planned revision of bilateral defense cooperation guidelines with the United States, given the need to keep the ruling coalition aligned over new security policy legislation, government sources said Thursday.
One option being considered within the government is to wait until around May to prevent the controversial issue —legalizing the use of the nation's right to collective self-defense — from having a negative impact on nationwide local elections slated for April.
It is still unclear, however, whether the United States will agree to change the current end-of-year deadline for the envisioned revision, for domestic reasons, the sources said.