The government on Tuesday called for quickly beefing up defenses against cyberattacks and threats from outer space as it unveiled a draft outline of the national defense buildup guidelines, to be updated next month.
The government said in the draft that the security situation surrounding Japan has been increasing in severity amid North Korean threats and China's maritime assertiveness, while adding that a stronger Japan-U.S. alliance is "more important than before."
"We must strengthen our defense abilities in a speed that is different from before," the government said in the document, while noting there is a need to invest in such areas as artificial intelligence and laser technologies, which are becoming military game changers.