Japan to change defense policy to meet PRC buildup

Japan plans to formulate a new defense policy outline to underline the need to meet China’s rapid military buildup, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on yesterday.

The outline, which spells out basic guidelines for Japan’s defense policies, is reviewed by the government once every five years and was revised in 1995 and 2004, the paper said.

The government initially planned to make only minor changes to the 2004 defense policy outline in the next fiscal year beginning next April.

But it decided to set up a new policy outline to signal more clearly the need for Japan to develop its defense capability amid China’s military buildup, the Yomiuri said, without citing sources.

The government will launch a panel of experts to discuss the changes and hopes to have the new outline approved at a Cabinet meeting by the end of next year, the paper said.

The Yomiuri also said the Japanese, Chinese and South Korean governments could launch an annual trilateral summit later this year to help solve regional problems such as North Korea’s nuclear development programs.

On the second leg of his first overseas trip since taking office in February, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was to arrive in Tokyo yesterday on a mission to build ties with Japan.

Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda were scheduled to hold talks today focusing on their earlier promises to build closer ties, Japanese officials said.