Tokyo, August 04: Observing that Japan’s military power does not match that of emerging countries like India and China, a panel of experts Tuesday recommended a change in the interpretation of the country’s pacifist Constitution to ensure Tokyo has the right to collective self-defence.
Reviewing Japan’s defence policy, the group led by Tsunehisa Katsumata, Chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Co., also recommended easing the ban on weapons exports.
In its report presented to Prime Minister Taro Aso, the panel said the government should prepare necessary legislation to expand Japan’s participation in the United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping operations.
It suggested that the government review existing rules on the use of weapons and craft permanent legislation to define what Japanese personnel can do in such missions and how the country’s Parliament should be involved in sanctioning their deployment.
The panel pointed out that US military presence could be overshadowed by increased burdens stemming from its war on terror and the global economic crisis, and the nation’s military power “has been relatively lowered with the rise of emerging countries such as China and India.”
The experts urged Tokyo to work out “multi-layered security strategies” based on its own efforts to ensure security and cooperation with the United States as well as partners in the Asia-Pacific region such as South Korea and Australia, Kyodo news agency reported.
–Agencies