Panel: Japan to Beef Up Military in Response to China | WPN World People News

Japan will set up a new amphibious military unit and deploy surveillance drones as part of its new defense plan in response to China's growing military power.

The proposals were included in drafts of new security strategy and defense guidelines released Wednesday and set to be approved by the Cabinet next week.

The drafts warn of China's attempts to change regional status quo by force. They specifically mention Beijing's new air defense zone in the East China Sea, which includes islands that are also claimed by Japan.

To help defend the area, the plan calls for the creation of amphibious forces at Naha Air Base on the southern island of Okinawa. It also proposes introducing surveillance drones and early-warning aircraft at the base.

The defense strategy says Japan should respond "calmly and resolutely to the rapid expansion and step-up of China's maritime and air activities."

In such an environment, the text said, Japan should strengthen its own military capabilities while continuing to deepen its alliance with the United States and others. It also proposes relaxing a ban on the export, development and production of Japanese weapons.

Since taking power last year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed to strengthen Japan's military, boost its global security role, and seek to revise its pacifist constitution.

Source: Voice of America