Japan Ruling Party Officials OK Security Document Revisions

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)--Japanese ruling party officials Monday approved the government's draft revisions of three key national security documents, including a description of China's military actions as threats to residents of Japan and its neighbors.

The draft was approved at a working-level meeting between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. The government is set to adopt the revisions as early as Friday after internal procedures at the two parties.

The National Security Strategy, one of the three documents, which deals with Japan's basic foreign and defense policies, will be revised for the first time since its release in December 2013.

Meanwhile, the National Defense Program Guidelines will be replaced by the planned national defense strategy, which will serve as guidelines for Japan's defense policy for the next decade.

The Medium-Term Defense Program, which lays out total defense expenditures and procurement volumes for major equipment for the next five years, will be changed to the defense buildup plan.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]