Japan's 2013 National Security Strategy, citing North Korea's expanding nuclear and missile programs and China's on-going military modernization and lack of transparency, characterized Japan's security environment as becoming ever more severe. The intervening years have only underscored the reality of an ever-increasing need for strengthening deterrence.
In a series of provocative moves on China s red line - the Taiwan question, Japan is reportedly eyeing establishing a new joint command and a new position of commanding officer to oversee its three Self-Defense Force units and better coordinate with the US military in emergencies. Chinese observers warned on Sunday this will be part of Japan s dangerous attempts to unleash its military development.
The government is working on major revisions to three key national security policy documents including the National Security Strategy (NSS), which could radically change Japan s highly restrictive and exclusively defensive postwar security policy.