Japan plans to develop a new defense policy to emphasize the need to meet China’s rapid military buildup, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on yesterday.
The outline for the policy, which is the 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 originally planned to make only minor changes to the 2004 defense policy .
But it decided to set up a new policy outline to show more clearly the need for Japan to develop its defense capability due to China’s military buildup.
The government will have experts discuss the changes and hopes to have the new outline approved at a Cabinet meeting by the end of next year.
The Yomiuri also said the Japanese, Chinese and South Korean governments could start an annual meeting among the three countries later this year to help solve regional problems such as North Korea’s nuclear development programs.
On the second part of his first overseas trip since taking office in February, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak arrived 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.Questions:
1.) Why does Japan think it is necessary to increase its military?
2.) Is a more powerful Japan good or bad for Asia?
3.) Is increasing military power the best solution to current problems?
For the real article, see the Taipei Times:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/04/21/2003409875